Thursday 23rd June 2016 was a landmark day for many reasons. The outcome of the referendum surprised a lot of people and delighted others. But, why am I blogging about the referendum of all things? One word: INTEGRITY! As many of you will know, I fly the flag for honesty, openness and integrity in business and particularly in sales.
Sales and selling has long suffered a bad press due to the involvement of those with little or no integrity; those who firmly believe the end-justifies-the-means and the means can be anything at all to win the business.
There’s the parallel. The press is now talking about the ‘fallout’. Now we hear that key arguments and figures were in fact a ‘mistake’. We have now heard that ‘immediate emergency measures’, means ‘we’ll have to look at it in a few months-time when the dust is settled, as we need stability’.
AND THEY WONDER WHY WE DON’T TEND TO TRUST OR RESPECT POLITICIANS AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD LIKE US TO!
If a certain PM, a particular UKIP leader and a well-known chancellor had done things differently; perhaps they could have kept their integrity AND continued to influence people ethically and positively! They would have remained respected, believed and would still be able to influence.
The Salient Points:
- Politicians need to be good at sales and selling. They are in a position of influence and the people expect to be led and advised with honesty and integrity.
- NEVER ASSUME what people want, or the outcome of an initiative. Making assumptions as to what people think, expect, want or need is a recipe for disaster. Identify and clarify the need, what is really the issue, then aim to fulfil that need. Assuming everyone, or at least a majority are going to agree with you is never a good idea.
- If you seek to influence and persuade your customers, or in this case ‘the electorate’, it’s always a good idea to provide accurate facts and reasoned argument.
- If you have competition, do not make it personal! YOUR ARGUMENT SHOULD NOT BE LACED WITH PERSONAL ATTACKS ON THOSE WHO OPPOSE YOU! Sell it on its merits.
- If there is any possibility that you may lose the argument, after all there is always ‘the unforeseen’, have a CONTINGENCY PLAN, which helps you to carry on, but perhaps in a slightly different direction. (‘Damage Limitation’)
- If you want to remain a supplier to your customers (or ‘in office’), then the following applies:
Be clear and consistent in what you say, giving enough facts to allow an educated decision to be made by your customers (‘the people’). This wasn’t done well in the referendum.
These facts and arguments must not be exaggerated, or untruthful, because, surprise-surprise, truth will out, particularly in the fall-out after the event. This happened on both sides.
Customers (the public) will see this disparity between what you promised and what you deliver as a clear manipulation of the process to achieve the sellers’ (politicians’) own ends. They are MUCH less likely to buy from (vote for) them again. The PM is going; others will likely follow.
A customer who is given all the facts they need in order to make an educated and reasoned choice, and these facts are given accurately, without exaggeration, fabrication or vagueness of interpretation, will be happy to deal with you again. IF the final answer is ‘NO thanks’, they are still likely to return and engage with you again. Customer retention and loyalty is only possible if you maintain this integrity.
If you are proved to be false or manipulative, then you should not be at all surprised if the customer then goes elsewhere. That’s politics as we know it!
As it should be in SALES and in POLITICS, it is down to motive, intent and conscience. I aim to sleep well every night. Do you?