The news is full of businesses who demonstrate how to create large mythical profits in a less than ethical manner. You read about these catastrophes because these practice are unsustainable. What can you do to create profitable customers while being ethically responsible?
Set firm ethical standards in a simple easy to follow form. Use a clear mission statement, code of conduct, or an ethics guideline provided by your trade or profession. Nothing complex here, just something employees can use to tailor their behavior to conform to the ethics of the organization.
Lead by example with consistency across divisions. Instead of a culture of ethics according to position, title, or division -- follow one set of ethics guidelines and expect the same from individuals at all levels of your firm. Consistency helps establish trust and credibility faster than behavior that introduces questions in the mind of customers.
Eliminate the hidden agenda of wealth and glory. When well-meaning individuals bend rules for personal gain these small ethical mistakes can turn into huge scandals over time. Build in transparent accounting procedures that minimize personal gain from particular business arrangements. It's easier in business to build a system that praises team efforts, than to clean up after one were individuals compete for attention.
Avoid behaviors that manipulate or influence outside of the triple win. You create a triple win when you, the customer, and the end user derive equal value from a business transaction. Unfortunately, unscrupulous people use relationship strategies to manipulate circumstances or influence buyers into solutions not right for their situation. Eventually all unbalanced transactions cause conflict, concern, and lower levels of satisfaction.
What good are profitable customers if some regulatory agency drains your bottom line with legal fees, audits, and fines? Business to business firms that create profitable customers quickly also create an ethical culture based on well-defined simple self-checks any employee can follow.
Being responsible for your own ethics is the foundation of any effort for creating profitable customers quickly. Discuss this topic with your employees, ask hard questions about how certain situations should be handled , and do what you can to check your own behavior before someone else has to check it for you.
Justin Hitt speaks frequently on developing business relationships with both customers and employees for greater profits. He is the author of "27 Ways to CRM Return on Investment" (workbook). Order your copy today at https://iunctura.com/re/crm-roi