Sales Bits: Integrity as Our True North
- Denny
- May 3
- 2 min read
Trust is not built by accident. It’s earned through consistent integrity. In this Sales Bit, Denny challenges us to examine where trust comes from, how it’s maintained, and why doing the right thing must remain our guiding direction in every interaction.
From Denny Vander Molen, President of Vermeer MidSouth and Founder and CEO of Jackson Endeavors:
Thinking even more about future growth, we talked last week about trust and the credit it creates in a customer's life and in a customer's view of a business. Where does that trust come from?
"He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views." William Congreve was a playwright and poet in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Integrity is doing and telling the truth to yourself. It is the personality trait that best describes the truth that we perform and tell others. With it, we are positioned for growth, and many customers in our region can capitalize on the value we create and deliver to the marketplace. Without it, it's a fireable offense. We get fired by a customer.
When I began as a distributor in 1987, approximately 45 industrial dealerships were serving the North American market. Today, that number represents sixteen independent dealerships.
There are various reasons for that. Some were related to not planning for an exit. Some had no capable heirs to own and manage the company. Some were merged. Some were sold out. Some went bankrupt, while others were fired as distributors.
How can we best serve the customer with genuine integrity?
· Become a better listener to others' needs.
· Create value for others so that their place in the community does the same.
· Give honest day's work by completing tasks as promised and expected.
· Be ready to own the problem the customer brought to us or the one we created.
· Believe in yourself as trustworthy, and then be an advocate for truth-telling.
Integrity does not need rules when we take responsibility for our actions. We do right for those we serve. When we have a big world to serve, integrity has to lead. We must be agile, which allows us to pivot, adjust, create, and make mistakes. Rules are great, but they don't always deliver the value our customers expect.
Doing the right thing for all concerned should be our True North. Doing the right thing can sometimes be unclear. So, get out of the silo and seek wisdom from others. Wisdom can be found when we seek from a heart of humility and a desire for integrity.
Gut check: What hasn't felt right from actions over the last several weeks?
Course Correction: What specific action can use a heading adjustment to stay on our True North heading?
"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." Solomon in Proverbs 10:9
Have a great sales week!
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