How to Have Integrity as A Salesperson

Why the sales profession hasn't changed much in the last 40 years

June 20, 2024

Good Morning! Today, June 20th, 2024 is officially the longest day of the year, which is also referred to as the first real day of summer. In honor of the occasion, we’ll be reaching out to all of our prospects to tell them the good news. Because that’s what friends are for. 😄 

In today’s Follow Up:

  • Having integrity in sales 💰️ 

  • Sales email tip of the day 🧠 

  • Sales news around the internet 🗞️ 

  • Sales jobs, job market & a meme 😂 

How to Have Integrity as a Sales Rep

Let’s be real for a second…

Sales isn’t always thought of as the most ‘honest’ profession. 

Sometimes referred to as sleazy, dishonest, commission-hungry, and more. You could probably keep the list going. Salespeople get a bad rap.

A small percentage of dishonest salespeople give a bad name to the rest of us, and according to history, not much has changed.

We came across a newspaper article published on February 18th, 1980 in The Age (an Australian newspaper).

The Age - Feb 18, 1980

The article outlines some of the misconceptions about the sales profession, as well as what makes a great salesperson.

And, although it was published over 40 years ago, and the way we sell has changed a lot…the qualities that make a great salesperson have not. 

And as the article says, those qualities stem from honesty and integrity.

All it takes is one sales rep with a lack of integrity, to ruin the reputation of your brand, team, and product. 

But here’s the thing…

It’s incredibly easy to say you have integrity. But how do you actually show integrity in sales?

Let’s break it down. 👇️ 

Honesty at All Costs 🤝 

As a sales rep, you'll face situations where you’ll have the opportunity to hide or bend the truth to close a deal or make some extra cash.

This might look like:

  • Making promises to prospects that you can't keep.

  • Selling features that don't exist.

  • Adding hidden items to invoices or agreements.

In the moment, these can feel like quick wins. But they put your future career at risk.

Instead, you can use honesty as a secret weapon to sell.

Be transparent about why you think you can help, why you're offering a discount, or why they should buy now.

Total honesty builds trust and gives prospects confidence in their decision to work with you.

Extreme Accountability 🎯

Having integrity means taking extreme ownership of your actions—even when you miss the mark (or quota).

The best leaders and sales reps can have the difficult conversations that we all hate.

This might look like:

  • Meeting with a client when the service you sold them didn’t get the results they wanted.

  • Taking ownership of why you missed quota.

  • Explaining why it’s your prospect’s fault that the deal didn’t close, which made you miss quota again…

It's easy to take credit when things go well. But real integrity takes place when results fall short.

Don't Badmouth the Competition 🤐

Talking smack about competitors is like that friend who's always gossiping behind people's backs.

It makes you wonder what they say about you when you're not around.

When discussing competitors, show off your expertise by highlighting what your product does better.

Bonus: Make Others Look Good 🌟

People love hanging around people who make them feel better about themselves.

The same goes for sales.

Find ways to make your prospect look good in front of their boss, and you'll earn their trust (and get their business).

Have you ever been dishonest to get a sale?

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Are You Prepared For Gmail’s New Cold Email Requirements?

Google is changing the entire landscape of cold email with its new spam policy.

Make sure you’re prepared.

Use this free checklist to make sure your domain is ready, and keep your emails out of spam.

Sales Tip of The Day 💡 

Use an ‘assuming’ question to clarify and expand on the questions your prospects ask.

Prospect: How does your solution compare to something like {insert competitor}?

You: Great question. I assume you’re asking because you’re also speaking with {competitor} or have used {competitor} in the past?

Using an ‘assuming’ question helps you understand the ‘why’ behind the question, and gather more info you can use in your pitch.

Sales Around The Web 🗞️ 

📊 A LinkedIn influencer is getting backlash for posting a selfie of himself smiling, right after he fired an employee.

💸 Chris Walker says a study of over 40 B2B companies doing >$50M ARR showed that trade show booths consistently have a low ROI.

👀 Someone asked Jason Lemkin if SaaS Startup CEO’s need to have sales skills.

🗣️ Reddit users discuss how realistic it is for someone to make multiple six figures in sales these days.

Checking In On The Job Market

Maybe everything doesn’t need to be shared on LinkedIn... 🤣 

Sales Meme of the Day

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