Talking about Selling Virtue with James Hoopes

by Alice Alessandri & Alberto Aleo

James Hoopes is Murata Professor of Ethics in Business at Babson College, a well-known American business school with a hands-on approach to education and a special focus on entrepreneurship. Professor Hoopes is the author of many books and articles on management and business such as False Prophets and Corporate Dreams.
He has taught in Europe and Asia as well as in the United States. At present he is writing a book about what the West can learn from the East about business ethics. We met James in Boston during the development of our research on sales ethics and we invited him to come to Italy to present his original approach on business and sales. Eventually, Prof. Hoopes will join us to Italy on the 26th and 27th of October for an open workshop and a seminary about “Selling Virtue” an innovative approach that can “upgrade” both sellers and customers. We asked him to introduce the topic and the events to our readers.

Diario: What does Selling Virtue exactly mean and why could this topic be interesting to managers, entrepreneurs and sellers?

Hoopes: Selling Virtue means selling in a way that does more than just provide the buyer with a product or a service. It means selling the product or service in a way that helps both the buyer and seller become better, more virtuous people.

Diario: Can ethics and virtue improve selling performances or are self-interested behaviors still the most effective so far?

Hoopes: Ethics and virtue can improve selling performance. But it’s not as easy as the old saying, “honesty pays.” We live in a morally imperfect world. The sad truth is that dishonesty can also pay. Honest sales people can be at a disadvantage when faced with dishonest competitors. When integrity is a disadvantage, honest sales people need other offsetting advantages such as superior knowledge and skill. Selling virtue is one more way of helping sales people not only to maintain their integrity but to improve their knowledge, skill, and performance.

Diario: Why are so many people, corporations and institutions now speaking about business ethics (even the Pope wrote the encyclical Laudato si’ about this topic a few month ago)? Is this a new trend or has something really changed?

Hoopes: It’s not a new trend, but things are changing a little in favor of ethics. And the change is not just among business people but also among customers. Our information age has given a lot of knowledge and power to buyers. More and more buyers are interested in using their increased power not just to get a good price but to support good businesses. The market for virtue is growing.

Diario: Italy has some peculiarities such as the small dimension of its companies, family owned businesses, a strong catholic culture and so on. Are these advantages or disadvantages when choosing the selling virtue approach?

Hoopes: These are great advantages. Families, especially religious families, are often focused on raising virtuous children. Sometimes people think that family businesses use family resources to make money. But it’s also the other way around. Families use their businesses for family purposes such as educating the next generation in virtues such as courage, diligence, integrity, persistence, and resilience.

Diario: Could you briefly describe to our readers why it is important to participate to the 26th and 27th October events? What could they learn and what are they going to achieve?

Hoopes: Participants will learn a new way to think about sales ethics. Ethics is not just about financial integrity. It is also about maintaining and developing one’s personal character and helping other people to do the same. There is a growing market for virtue, even among those who do not yet know that is what they want. Learn how to tap that market!

James Hoopes is one of the most acute expert of business ethics all over the world and we are glad and honored to have the opportunity to share his cutting-edge point of view on the economy and the next business trends. We even consider a huge opportunity to merge the Italian relationship-based culture with the American one based on an effective and strong customer culture. The next appointments on the 26th and 27th October are the occasions to adopt a new point of view to bring success and happiness to our life and companies. Looking forward to see you there!

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