Sales Ethics Is an Oxymoron - Assignment Example

It has been said that sales ethics is an oxymoron. Do you agree? Discuss this statement. Insert name Insert Institution Name Insert Course Insert Date Introduction Ethics in sales has recently been subjected to fierce debate of whether or not it is an oxymoron. Nevertheless, do the debaters really understand the concepts? Ethics are the duties and the respective demeanor that is relating to a moral action and motive. Ethics is as well referred to as the moral philosophy, and it is set to deal with inquiries about probity. Ethics has been labeled as the study and beliefs of mortal behavior, with an emphasis on the resolve of right and wrong (Murphy (2004, 46-49). An oxymoron on the other hand, refers to the literally speech figures that are composed of the neighboring contradictory words within one sentence. An oxymoron is used for various reasons, which range from dramatic to comical. It is a combination of contradicting and absurd words in a sentence. For marketers, ethics in the place of work refers to guidelines governing the demeanor of organizational affiliates and the consequences of sales decisions. Ethical concerns do revolve around good or evil and justification of a vice and a high caliber. Ethics is a discipline that refers to the well-founded standards of right or wrong, those that are used to outline what human are supposed to undertake. Ethics are indented on the right and the obligations, the societal benefits and fairness. Synopsis Sales ethics is not an oxymoron. It is a way of convincing the consumer that the product is available in the market and can satisfy his or her needs using attractive words. Sales ethics are the reasonable obligations for an individual to refrain from fraud and misrepresentation (Jobber, 2006, 12-24). In addition, sales ethics are an anthology of morality that govern right conduct and that does give shape to the people or the organizational decisions related to making sales. I Simply stated, sales ethical standards refer to individual following well-known, acknowledged moral philosophies of his or her occupation; sales. Sales ethics are not oxymoronic at all. I totally disagree with the argument that sales ethics are an oxymoron. They are a crucial aspect of an organizational effort to communicate to the consumer and make them want their product. Due to the increment on organization product competition, and a large number of substitute products, sales ethics are critical in today’s business world. They define boundaries related to ethical behaviors and measure undertakings to ensure that consumers are given nothing but the quality and truthful product. Many argue that sales ethics are an oxymoron due to various undertaking by a corrupt organization that is not truthful to make a sale. As an example, many pinpoint the fact that sales personnel induce the customers to “load up” on company products during an advertising period. They argue that, an instance like this is a cheating aspect that has adverse effects on countless consumers. Main body Sales ethics are not an oxymoron in today’s business world. However, Jobber, (2006, 12-24), emphasizes that enhancing sales ethics among the sales workforce of an organization is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s fast-paced business world. The legal doctrine of a country governs sales ethical standards and undertakings. It touches on the need of taking care of consumer privacy, and bribery to make a sale. The regulations that are surrounding the sales ethics are as well related to misrepresentation and cheating of the likely benefits just to close a sale. Sales regulations ask organizations/ departments involved in sales to emphasize on ethical conduct from the sales persons. On the other hand, they also must look into the effect of their management decisions on the ethical conduct of the sales personnel. Bribery and fraud has been the most critical issues in sales. Many of the American company have been punished since 1977 by the foreign corrupt practices act. However, this does not justify that sale ethics are an oxymoron. Shell has operations in most nasty places of the world. The CEO argued, “If someone cruses a can on a customer’s car window for instance, the company will advocate for total replacement, but it should be recorded.” This ethical and the company have received many customers in their global business. From Murphy (2004, 46-49), Sales ethics refers to the application of the accepted standards relating to fairness or the ethical right and wrong, to all the sales decisions and behavior. It does govern sales practice in an organization (Gould, 2004, 106-111). Some companies choose to take the high road when it comes to sales. These companies are keen to follow the activities of their sales personnel and make sure that they are ethically trained and they follow these ethics to the letter (Kramer, 2011, 861- 869). These companies are in the end able to make loyal customers from even the most mistrusting of people. Their customers are in effect brand loyal to their products. The companies’ integrity and ethics is based on the customers’ rapport with the salesperson. However, most people argue that these companies risk high returns because of them taking the so-called high road of good ethics (Gould, 2004, 106-111). Some experts have associated Sale ethics as an oxymoron. From Kramer, (2011, 861- 869, Competition may make people who may once have been morally upright to change their ways to remain on top of the competition. The reason to their perceptions is practically subject to individual understanding. Some of the pointed out reason revolve the concept that, sales organizations are using unfair and deceptive selling approaches (Kramer, 2011, 861- 869). It is ethically reasonable to have sales ethics in an organization to curb cases of violation. Sales efforts are deemed deceptive if the consumer believes that he or she will realize more benefits for using a particular product and in the contrary, he, or she fails to receive benefits sought. The most common sales deception includes the practice of misrepresentations and omission of facts that are related to the product and services that an organization offers. A misleading practice is possible to occur as well when an organization is working with any of the elements of marketing mix. The consumers is exposed to such happening and due to the significant amount of information regarding the various organizations and products that satisfy the same need, it is critical to act according to the sales ethics. The consumer is incredulous of the sales alleges and communication. They try all they could to avoid falling into traps of deceit. If they doubt a product or organization, they just opt out hence the need of sticking to the accepted sales ethics. There are cases where misleading pricing undertakings are used in sales development. Such are set to ensure that the customer is convinced that the price they are paying to the product is less than it is supposed t cost them (Jobber, 2006, 12-24). An organization my tend to use false full comparisons of the prices or provide misleading selling prices as well as opting at emitting critical circumstances of the sale. There are cases where an organization is tempted to use the “bait and switch” techniques of making a sale. Other instances, there are temptations to make an amplification of the merchandise claim or to intentionally mislabel the product packets on quality, and quantity. A failure to perform the promises made to the consumer before buying the product and taking to the market the dangerous and goods without the disclosure of the risk all amount to the ethical question. It is out of such attempts that sales ethics are constituted. Each of the manufacturers, a distributer, or the sales personnel is governed by these principles and none of them is supposed to refute the requirement. Due to such, sales ethics are practical and they are influential towards organizational responsiveness to the market. The sales personnel and organizations are supposed to be in full control of their claims. The selling efforts that are perceived as offensive leads to negative reactions by the affected lot and the consumer protection bodies (Bruhn, 2001, 92-96). Various recent cases have resulted to the questioning of sales ethics. Majority of the doubts are linked to products quality as well as the services provision. Complaints have erupted regarding the unsafe products and poor quality output as well as the fact that what is promoted is not the content of the sold good and services. If an organization engages in poor deceptive approaches, it does assume the risk of sending a reputation of produce that is poor. An organization that is involved in malpractices does put itself in jeopardy and the higher chances of lawsuit; it shall have gone against the sales ethics. The decisions that sales persons make are the ones that determine how ethical he/she will be. The sales person does not consider what is best for the customer. This is supposed to be his/her main objective. The fundamental ground rule for any salespersons should be the welfare of the customer (Dubinsky & Ingram, 2000, 41/42). The inquiries on ethical platform do as well arise in manufactured good systems of circulation (Cron, 2009, 98). The sales ethics are gone against for instance where the sales representatives ram the retailers to procure more (Spiro, Rich & Stanton, 2008, 76/77). Such an exertion of influence is evil and grounded on the attempt to reduce the competitor products space and it in other cases attached to false promises that the delivery will, be effected quickly ignoring the point that it is not possible to deliver at the promised date (Waung & Darren, 2002, 345). These undertaking are unethical (Dubinsky & Ingram, 2000, 41/42). They are the kind of things that have led to the questioning of the credibility of sales ethics and a conclusion that it is an oxymoronic approach. Conclusion I am opposed to the argument that sale ethics are an oxymoron. This is because the ethics are not biased or impracticable. They are compromised by individual organizations to satisfy their greed economically. Ethics that are drafted, and documented globally as far as sales are concerned, are realistic, and have brought into control, the world of counterfeit and poor quality goods. From Manning & Ahearne, (2004, 32), sales ethics have been able to regulate the sales process, in such a way that sales organizations are supposed to be truthful to the final bit as they try to reach out to the potential, existing or dormant economies. What could be the situation if there were no governing ethics could lead to dangerous malpractices as each of the venture tries to raise its sales volume despite the way that is used. Ethics in sale are thus very realistic. They have been able to contain the conditions and facilitate the responsible sales efforts. In Summary, Ethics are not an oxymoron in sales but they are the roots on which practical approaches to sale are ground. They ensure that organizations are responsible and a violation is punished as per the requirement (Wieseke, Christian, & Nick, 2008, 42-59). Argument that sales ethics are an oxymoron are misplaced. They have no place in the sales world and the people who support the biased and unproven claim are linked to the oxymoronic approach; the one they profess to be linked to ethics in sales (Tanner, & Erffmeyer, 2010, 42). It is justifiable to argue and make a conclusion that sales ethics are reasonable and cannot be compromised unless the organization management is ill on itself. Ethics are not an oxymoron as far as sales is concerned. Bibliography Bruhn, Homburg. Definition Of Marketing Ethics. Journal of Marketing Research.2001: 92-99. Retrieved from: Cron, Decarlo. Dalrymple’s Sales Management.UK: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Dubinsky, Allan & Ingram, Thomas. “Ethics in industrial selling: How product and service salespeople compare.” Journal of the academy of marketing science 12, 2000: 41/42. Retrieved from :< http://www.sagepub.com/journals/Journal200763> Gould, Sagem. Sexuality and ethics in advertising: A research agenda and policy guideline perspective, Journal of Advertising. 2004: 106-111. Retrieved from: Jobber, Lancaster. Hundreds Arrested in Mass-Marketing Fraud Targeting Senior Citizens. Journal of Marketing. 2006: 12-24.Retrieved from: < http://www.marketingpower.org/AboutAMA/Pages/AMA%20Publications/AMA%20Jou rnals/Journal%20of%20Marketing/JournalofMarketing.aspx. Kramer, David. “Responses to Thesis Background: Ethics and ethical business codes of conduct” Journal of Applied Psychology 59, 2011: 851-861. Retrieved from: < http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/> Manning, Reece, & Ahearne, Ruth. Selling Today: Creating Customer Value. NY: Pearson International Prentice Hall, 2004. Murphy, Patrick. Ethical Marketing. Journal of Consumer Research.2004: 46-49. Retrieved from:< http://www.jstor.org/page/journal/jconsrese/about.html> Spiro, Roberts. Rich, Gerald, & Stanton Webster. Management of a Sales Force. Journal of Management 2008: 16-36. Retieved from: http://www.blackwellpublishing.edu/journal.asp?ref=1045-3172> Tanner, Honeycutt & Erffmeyer, Joseph. Sales Management Shaping Future Sales Leaders. NY: Prentice Hall. 2010. Waung, Marie. & Darren, Jones, “The Effect of Good Ethics in Society,” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 23, 2002: 345. Retrieved from :< http://www.blackwellpublishing.edu/journal.asp?ref=0021-9029> Wieseke, Jan., Christian Homburg., & Nick, Lee. Understanding the Adoption of New Brands Through Salespeople: a Multilevel Framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36, 2008: 42-59. Retrieved from:¸ Read More