ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the many ethical concerns facing salespeople and managers, and discusses legal issues that affect sales behavior. Given the unique nature of their jobs, it is surprising that salespeople face ethical issues all the time. As shown in the Model for Contemporary Selling at the beginning of the chapter, ethics is a core principle of the buyer–seller relationship. The contemporary selling process, as we have discussed already, is built on the simple premise of creating value for the customer. Research in sales confirms the benefits of a customer orientation in directing customers to purchase from salespeople who seek to understand their needs and develop a relational rather than transactional relationship. The salesperson who chooses to provide complete information even when it presents the company in a less than favorable light can create a high degree of credibility with the customer.
