We're all in Fishbowl; Get Some Scruples!

Life in a "fishbowl" was a phrase often used on my college campus to encourage the student leaders to realize that their actions were being watched by underclassmen, and to act accordingly. In other words, act like you're being watched and criticized all the time. And don't screw up!

Well I've got news for everyone... we're all in a fishbowl!

Which leads me to my original thought- what constitutes unethical sales behavior? Or any behavior for that matter???

I thought for days about the unethical sales actions I've heard about... or witnessed... or even considered doing myself. I tried categorizing such actions into different subsets of unethical-ness, and creating a scale for weighing which actions were most unethical. So many decisions are made daily by individual sales reps it's hard to categorize every action as ethical or not.

It all started in my MBA Marketing class with the question of retailers selling extended service contacts for cell phones, computers, cameras, etc. Is that unethical? Originally I said no, because I was thinking of way more serious offenses... like Bernard Madoff! But maybe it is a bit unethical to hard sell somebody making a major purchase... while the line behind them builds up and the clerk is staring at them to hurry up and make a decision. I guess I can be persuaded either way.

So then I began thinking about the ethics of fishing. The story of Paul Tormanen came to mind immediately (though I admit I had to google to find his name... but the story I'll never forget). During a tournament a few years ago Paul caught some bass ahead of time and strategically tethered the fish to various tree stumps. During the day of the tournament he went around and "caught" those fish... but so did a competitor of Paul's who was surprised to hook into a bass that was leashed to a stump! Officials were notified... Paul was investigated... and ultimately disqualified from the tournament and banned for life from B.A.S.S.

Conclusion: We're all in a fishbowl. In the world of cell phone cameras, Twitter and every other techno gadget that exists all of our actions are destined to be scrutinized. So we should all live and act as though we're being watched 24/7. If you're doing something to close a sale or to catch a fish that you wouldn't want shown on YouTube then it's probably not entirely ethical. Chances are that would have stopped Paul, and hopefully Madoff too. I'm okay if the kid at Best Buy still wants to try and sell me the service plan, but maybe he'll tone it down if he knows he's being watched.

'Til the Fat Fish is Weighed

Over the years I have become less and less exuberant after a sale... well, after the beginning of a sale. After that first closing call I used to swell with excitement and do the 'ol Tiger Woods fist pump, but now I hardly crack a smile. Why is that?


I think it's because- depending on industry- a sale isn't final until service is delivered, payment is made, etc... and in the mean time a lot of things can change causing a roller coaster of emotions.


Last week's Bassmaster Classic perfectly illustrates this. Mike Iaconelli, known for his exuberance, was touting a 23 lb. catch the final day sending Skeet Reese into a panic with his mere 16 lb. bag. Ike exemplifies that excitable sales rep. The guy who starts high-fiving you after a prospect only agrees to meet with him. He's also the guy in the sales meeting that inflates his forecast by a good 25%-50%. I love Ike, and I can't knock him for his optimism, but it's not time to pop the champagne until the final weigh-in.

Reese, tempering his enthusiasm actually had under-estimated his catch. Ike's 23 lb. bag actually only weighed in at 18.10, so Reese's actual 16.12 was good for an 11 oz win! By the way, this is the "Super Bowl of Bass Fishing" we're talking about! A huge friggin' deal. As reported by espn;

After a victory lap around the arena floor, Reese later told reporters, he snuck away to the bathroom and repeated to himself: "I just won the Bassmaster Classic. I just won the Bassmaster Classic. I just won the Bassmaster Classic."

So when is it time to enjoy a victory lap? Not until the fat fish is weighed! It's different for each industry, but it's certainly not right after the "yes." More than likely it's after the service is delivered and invoices have been paid. At that time you can get the champagne off the ice, and tell yourself "I just closed that deal! I just closed that deal! I just closed that deal!"

If you celebrate too soon, you're just another obnoxious sales person that exaggerates everything!