Closing the Deal
Order Instructions:
Double space essay on CASE 6.4 Closing the Deal.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Closing the Deal
Introduction
When a customer feels pressured into making decisions or taking action that he or she feels is inconsistent with what is right, ethical conflict is said to have occurred. Sales people are constantly faced with various ethical dilemmas as they interact with the customers, competitors, and employers. They are frequently exposed to high levels of ethical pressures than employees holding other positions in a company. This is as a result of the freedom they have, since they tend to work in relatively unsupervised settings. They are also responsible for the generation of a firm’s revenue, which may also be stressful.
Question 1
I disapprove of Wright’s sales tactic because the method being used is not ethical. The whole technique is based on dishonesty and deceiving the customer (Ferrell, Johnston & Ferrell, 2007). It also puts pressure on the customer to seal the deal immediately. Wright, however, is trying to cover up for it by giving directions that only customers who seem to want the product can be persuaded. Direction is also given that the technique will only be influenced for someone who actually needs the land. From this perspective, this sales tactic may be dismissed as moral since the customer indeed needed the land, and the sales person knew that the land would satisfy the client’s needs fully (Ruiz-Palomino & Martínez-Cañas, 2014).
Question 2
If I knew that the prospect in the case study would eventually buy the property or that it would be in the prospect’s interest to buy it, my moral assessment of this closing technique would not be affected. This is because I still think that it is morally wrong for salespersons to play with their prospect’s psychology through deceit, just to seal deals. Dishonesty is a factor that has been discouraged for a very long time, especially for salespersons (McClaren, 2013). There are no way the sales person will be in a position to know if that prospect actually needs the land. Hesitation does not mean that the land is needed; but that the client is not sure which one will fully satisfy his or her needs. Therefore, when the sales person uses Wright’s tactic, the pressure of missing out on a product is exerted on the prospect.
If the law allows three days for the prospects to change their minds, there will be reasonable grounds for complaining about the closing technique used against them. First, the sales person was being dishonest in the attempt of getting the prospect to sign the deal. Once the prospect realizes that all the phone calls and reference to headquarters were all face, dishonesty may be claimed. It is always important to be truthful about information given to the customer. This is very important because the client needs to feel confident about the company in case of complaints. Second, after a day or two, the prospect may discover that the product is not what he or she hoped for. However, after being pressured using illegal means, he or she ended up signing the deal. Therefore, the prospects may argue that they were pressured into purchasing a product they were not sure satisfied their needs.
Question 3
There are many things which Jean needs to take into consideration before making any decisions. First, she needs to consider how her action will affect her future deals. No prospect would want to be associated with a dishonest salesperson. Lying about the presence of headquarters, and making fake phone calls to lure a client into signing the deal may easily backfire. If the client notices that all these were a lie, this may be the end of jean’s career. Second, as a sales person, Jean has the obligation to ensure that her actions are not interfering, in any way, with the rights of the customer. The customer has a right of making his or her own decision; the duty of the sales person is to help the customer decide on a product and finally make a purchase (Ross & Robertson, 2003). The duty of the sales person is not to pressure customers into purchasing the goods or services.
Question 4
Jean should give very little weight to self-interest in her deliberations since ethics suggest that a salesperson must always do what is best for his or her customers. It is not stated that she should also consider her own interests. If this code of ethics is considered, the sales person will be foregoing short-term profits but investing in long-term profits that may take longer to show (McClaren, 2013). The long-term benefits are always better because the sales person will eventually start gaining from referrals. Therefore, Jean should stick to her code of ethics and avoid doing what she thinks is wrong. She should always be honest to customers and refuse to pressure them into signing deals. Despite the fact that she is lagging behind, there is hope for more prospects in future because the few she has closed deals with will refer others to her because of her honesty and patience with customers.
Question 5
A rule utilitarian would encourage real estate agents in such a situation to follow a simple rule: “Happiness is not the rational end and purpose of human life and action; virtue is a better end or goal than happiness,” (Qtd. From Ferrell, Johnston & Ferrell 2007, p. 296). This rule implies that the sales person should not focus on his or her own benefits, but rather on virtue or goals. When this rule is followed, the real estate agents will always focus on taking the right actions and making good decisions for the sake of their customers, since the more loyalty there is, the better the performance of an organization.
The realtors’ professional code of ethics needs to reflect a lot on closing techniques. It should warn against using negative means of influence on prospects just to seal a deal. The rights of the customers must always be respected by ensuring that the closing techniques used are not going to disrespect these in any way.
Conclusion
The ethics of salespersons is a factor that will almost never be followed. This is because the job of salespersons has been closely associated with being dishonest, using pressure, and many more activities that ensure the customer signs a deal no matter what. This case study is basically an example of the decisions that salespersons have to make daily. At times, they are often pressured into using the wrong techniques to ensure they sign the deals. However, it is always advisable to use the proper means since the benefits associated with the latter outweigh its shortcomings.
References
Ferrell, O. C., Johnston, M. W., & Ferrell, L. (2007). A Framework For Personal Selling And Sales Management Ethical Decision Making. Journal Of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 27(4), 291-299.
McClaren, N. (2013). The Personal Selling and Sales Management Ethics Research: Managerial Implications and Research Directions from a Comprehensive Review of the Empirical Literature. Journal Of Business Ethics, 112(1), 101-125. http://www.doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1235-4
Ross, W. T., & Robertson, D. C. (2003). A Typology of Situational Factors: Impact on Salesperson Decision-Making about Ethical Issues. Journal Of Business Ethics, 46(3), 213-234.
Ruiz-Palomino, P., & Martínez-Cañas, R. (2014). Ethical Culture, Ethical Intent, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Moderating and Mediating Role of Person-Organization Fit. Journal Of Business Ethics, 120(1), 95-108. http://www.doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1650-1.
We can write this or a similar paper for you! Simply fill the order form!
