Best of … Sales Ethics

Tips to take the second step in life and business by adding structure and strategy to talent and enthusiasm.

We learn the basics of customer management and reception on the phone. Read more…

What should you be observing and assessing during an interview? How to be effective and consistent with your goals when applying for a job.

What can I do if the customer judges me purely on the basis of price? Avoid the ‘downward spiral’.

Learn how to write commercial emails that get results by clarifying three main points: who you are, what you can do for the customer and what the next step will be when working together. Read more…

Here's how to draft a CV that really talks about you, and will set you apart from the pack.

Nobel Prize winner John Nash helps us to understand why we need to change our perspective with customers.

by Alice Alessandri & Alberto Aleo The long wait is over! After almost two years…

Customers and sellers are not enemies and this is why.

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo The expression Win-Win has been bandied about in economics…

It will be easier to overcome the filter of zealous assistants, trained to block all calls from us sellers. Read more…

Find out how ethical you are when conducting a sale and what distinguishes an ethical salesperson from a traditional one.

Here's how to build trust within a sales relationship.

What is the real object being traded in a sale? Are you certain you know what you are really offering the customer? Let’s analyse the offer system.

by Alice Alessandri & Alberto Aleo James Hoopes is Murata Professor of Ethics in Business at Babson…

We get the appointment arousing interest and curiosity in our interlocutor. Read more…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo Raj Sisodia is FW Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business…

by Alice Alessandri When you read the title you probably thought, "there must be a…

by Alice Alessandri Anyone who knows me will confirm that I am, without doubt, an…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo There are just a few days to Christmas, a…

by Alberto Aleo Welcome back! Since one of the major difficulties on returning to work after…

An interesting case study illustrates how a simple blackboard can become a powerful tool to motivate the sales team.

di Marzia Mazzi When I enter a company for the first time, I’m fascinated to…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo One of the issues that most frequently crops up…

Let's find out how to transform potential flaws into elements of our identity.

By Alice Alessandri Some time ago we dedicated an article to win-win situations, currently a…

by Alberto Aleo While underlining that the profession of a travelling salesman is both noble…

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo We met Matteo Fabiano in 2015 in Silicon Valley…

by Alice Alessandri ed Enrica Maffi Over the last few weeks I have been thinking over…

By Alberto Aleo ‘Will is Power’ the Romans said. How many times have people said that…

By Alberto Aleo - an interview with Fabio Pornaro What does the future hold for Italian…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo If the world’s best universities today aim to train…

Is there a law of attraction that binds customers and companies? Yes, and here's how to use it to increase your business.

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo We have been hearing about the crisis for so long…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo How many times have we asked ourselves the question,…

By Alberto Aleo and Riccardo Trevisani Two different generations with diverse experiences and from different contexts, but both…

by Alice Alessandri When, in 2011, Alberto and I told other people about our decision to…

The salesperson and the price: our tips on how to propose the value of an offer.

By Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo Finding new customers and sales opportunities is one of…

By Alice Alessandri Some time ago, by one of those happy coincidences that that life…

by Alberto Aleo Little is said about what happens when, despite all our efforts, our…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo In a world packed with sales training courses, some…

by Alice Alessandri & Alberto Aleo Since we’ve been back in Italy, many people have…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo The end of 2016 is approaching and our attention is…

by Alice and Alberto Alessandri Aleo Selling is no easy job: there’s a long apprenticeship,…

Organize really useful business meetings, thanks to these tips.

By Alberto Aleo and Alice Alessandri This is the start of the series on Nightmare salespeople…

by Alberto Aleo Do you remember the scene in the movie The Blues Brothers when John…

We are going to take a look at the most frequent mistakes made when asking and listening in order to get some handy tips on what NOT to do during an ethical sale.

Let's learn together how to define our goals and our identity.

By Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo Having analyzed mistakes in receiving and listening to customers, the time has…

How the marketing tools used in modern markets have changed.

Mismanaging Objectionsby Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo We have reached the fourth appointment with the…

by Alberto Aleo e Giorgio Mondardini At a time in the market where companies are cutting…

by Alice Alessandri, Alberto Aleo What could be worse that seeing all your efforts wasted…

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo Fernet-Branca is a household name in Italy, and widely…

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo Despite a series of errors, misunderstandings and upsets our…

We learn to manage the group using constructive criticism.

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo Whether you are planning a holiday at the sea or…

by Alberto Aleo While doing my military service in Italy, I served with the Engineer…

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo We arrived in Newburyport near Boston on a late…

Prof. Leigh Hafrey, professor of leadership at MIT in Boston, gives us his valuable advice on the following topic

by Alice Alessandri Marcello Ceccaroni is 45 years old and, young though he is, has…

by Alice Alessandri Dealing with happy and satisfied customers, those people who make your days…

Let's analyze which sales techniques are more effective, traditional or ethical ones.

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo We often talk about ethical buying to refer to…

by Alice Alessandri e Alberto Aleo It will be Christmas in a few days. Is this…

Here's how to make reliable and rational sales forecasts.

We learn how to structure effective emails by breaking them down into their component parts and analyzing each one. Some practical tips when writing emails and understanding when, on the other hand, it is better to use other media. Read more…

by Alberto Aleo Have you ever been called into your boss’ office without any warning…

How to handle requests for a discount in an ethical and effective way.

How to do new business in a "scientific" way.

We learn to profile our customers in an unconventional way.

by Alberto Aleo SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats and traditionally identifies a…

di Alice Alessandri Several times we wrote about the value of unconventional professional paths: today…

di Alberto Aleo In our experience as consultants we see many companies operating in many…

di Alberto Aleo If you have ever attended a class on communication techniques or effective…

from an interview with Alice Alessandri e Giovanna Rossi Have you noticed that things have changed…

A series of tips for conducting a selection interview in an effective and ethical manner and revealing the candidates’ hidden gifts.

The beginning of September is a good time to give shape to your projects. What better opportunity for drafting a business plan? There are various ways to create a business plan: some are highly technical, other most modern and innovative. Here you can find some tips to realize a creative Business Plan.

What is the difference between a boring seller and a brilliant seller? What are the advantages, how to use them and make them explicit?

How to analyze business evolution, grow our organizations and promote professional activities following the Maslow's Pyramid.

A well written quote, attached to an effective email, is a great help to our business success. Let's learn to write it together.

What exactly is this emotional bond that we establish with some objects and what characteristics do they have that produces it? Try to remember the presents you have received which have, in some way, left a mark in your life. When you are thinking of finding the right gift, do it with the desire to choose something that can potentially change the person who will receive it.

Who are the (real) outsiders? We are wary of imitations and learn to recognize them through their ability to lead others, to give, to generate culture and paying close attention to gestures and words.

We don’t really think about this too much, but nowadays one of the main skills for managers and professionals is time management, for both personal and team productivity. What is the secret to successful time management?

When I interview potential employees I like to ask lots of questions. Here is a list of my favourite ones, and some tips on how to answer. They are very common job interview questions so I suggest you consider how to answer beforehand.

A good salesperson is primarily an excellent listener, someone who knows how to stay quiet, leaving his customer the space to express his/her wishes and only speaking after fully comprehending the needs and desires of his interlocutor.

Live chats represent one of the cheapest and most powerful instruments to make direct contact with customers, and for this reason companies whose main focus is on customer service have introduced them among their channels. But are we sufficiently prepared to deal with this kind of tool?

Chasing unpaid invoices, especially by phone, feels “rude” to most of the people I meet in my classes. For some reason we feel uncomfortable when we have to ask for payment although really that is how the wheels of commerce work: providing a certain service or goods in return for a stipulated payment.

Unproductive meetings are a massive waste of time and – as we know – in business wasted time also means wasted money. Therefore it's essential that the cost/benefit ratio is well balanced when organizing a meeting! Here is a list of questions ethical leaders should bear in mind when organizing a meeting.

Much of our work as consultants consists in developing the commercial activity of our corporate customers. We examine and verify their business performances and assess their results not only in terms of revenue.

In this preholiday article we are going to try a real experiment and turn your next holiday into a good occasion to revise – or learn – some management tools.

Just as human beings are made up of body, mind and soul, in the same way companies are composed of physical or material aspects, logical-rational aspects and finally spiritual aspects which refer directly to the people, their values and culture.

One of the questions that our clients, especially young freelancers, ask us most often is how they should calculate the price of the service or product they offer. Knowing how to determine the price is the first crucial step to recognising your market value. Many freelance professionals and salespeople are not very good at presenting and defending their price because they are not fully aware of how to put together a quote or estimate.

The main aim for any business or professional is – or should be – finding out what makes them different from all other competitors. Why is that? Let's try and examine it together…

In both cases ethical leaders have to be equally available, understanding and sensitive to their employees' needs in order to guarantee their development: in one word they have to be flexible

Thanks to a successful customer journey that companies and professionals can create value for their clients, allowing them to fully and personally experience the quality of their offers

The Christmas holidays are approaching quickly and many of us will spend them at home with their loved ones. Holidays are made not only for spending more time with our dear ones, but also for relaxing and restoring our energies, therefore it is very important to make the most of them. As always quality lies in the details and this is what we are going to discuss in the following paragraphs: we’ll try and analyse the little attentions that can turn Christmas into a real present both for ourselves and for those around us.

The beginning of a new year can be a tough time. The perspective of 12 months of hard work and effort, to achieve goals that we feel are indeed distant from our true dreams and values could be very hurting. But are we sure that we need to renounce to them to have a wealthy and happy life? We asked Mary Gentile – professor at University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Why dedicate an article to words? Because they have a very important specific weight. This becomes even more true when the objective of our communication is sales and it is necessary to convey trust, security and enthusiasm to our potential customer.

What does effective communication mean and how can we achieve it? We asked Massimo Franceschetti who is a professor at Bologna Business School and an expert in effective communication.

Companies, as evolving ecosystems, need changes and modifications in order to improve. Here are some considerations about how leaders deal with internal tensions.

“Business as usual” is an American expression used to stress how in economics things are always expected to go on in spite of everything. Personally we have never agreed with this point of view: in business (as we intend it in Passodue) the concept of “usual” should not even exist, neither in good times nor during emergencies. In order to survive in modern markets, business models should adapt to the variation of situations and interlocutors. Therefore let’s try and seize this opportunity to make innovations and evolve: the only certainty in what we are experiencing is change.

“Is it necessary to always tell the truth when dealing with clients?” this is one of the most common questions we receive from those who take part in our courses. As the creators of the Sales Ethics method, our only answer should be “Of course!”. In fact it is not so easy to be always completely sincere with clients. Not so much because of the budget and sales targets we need to achieve; in fact sometimes expressing our personal opinion can prove useless, if not detrimental to our clients. Let’s see how and when this might happen, and analyse what serving the truth really means!

We have contacted Carolina and Pietro, who are great experts of the world of luxury and of the market dynamics related to it, to ask their opinion about the future of this sector and, by extension, about the tastes and trends of post-coronavirus consumers.

January and July are usually the best months for promotions. However in this "strange" market period it is not uncommon to see “sale” signs in the shop windows, or to come across discount offers, 3×2 deals or similar reductions – which are all aimed at supporting demand and restarting the markets. This is why I’ve decided to propose an article on this matter, in order to explain why, when and how to use promotions.

In this article we are going to examine the 4 elements we consider strategic for designing and implementing successful telemarketing activities, and see how to combine them to achieve even more effective results.

Gianluca Manuzzi is CEO and co-owner of Viaggi Manuzzi Srl  one of the top 5 travel agencies in Italy (source Sole24Ore). He also serves on the board of directors of Travel Specialist Srl, which is composed of 20 of the greatest business travel companies, with a cumulated turnover of more than €150 million. In addition, he is a member of the Welcome Travel tourism committee, which brings together more than 1,000 of the approximately 8,500 agencies operating in our country. Therefore we think Gianluca is the most qualified person to answer a number of questions about the tourism sector and to give us some advice on how to best manage a holiday in 2020. 

Summer 2020 started with a mixture of impatient desire for payback and fear for what the following months would actually have in store for us. On the basis of these emotions, it seems that the majority of Italians opted for short journeys to rediscover the local beauties: a kind of holiday which is much the same as our fathers’, who “were just happy” to spend their holidays visiting their distant relatives, going for car trips or reading a good book under a beach umbrella. We believe that, after all, this might have been a good thing as slowdown, return to traditions and time spent with family can play a very important role in making us reappreciate our true essence and values, giving us the opportunity to literally see them in action and perhaps teaching us something useful about our jobs and our way of approaching the market! And that’s why… 

While walking in the streets of Milan we came across an advertising poster of a well-known tailoring company, which said “A gentleman knows the value of time”. This expression made us think about an important issue: the value of punctuality. This healthy but often neglected habit, which Calvino described as necessary to social order, not only has the power of making our days more productive, but it can also add respect and elegance to our  relationships. Here are some tips to learn how to be punctual and some of the resulting advantages.

The English version of our book Business in Love has been available in all countries for a few weeks now, with a very charming title: Engaging the Heart in Business: A Revolutionary Market Approach Based On Love. I take this opportunity to reflect on the reasons that led us to write this text, which are deeply connected to the social and economic changes that we are experiencing - including the pandemic, the lockdown, the shift to remote working - and to the way we are facing these new challenges, seizing their evolutionary opportunities.

How can we increase the chances that our clients will speak well of us, therefore contributing to positive word-of-mouth? We’ll try and give an answer in the next few lines.

In the world of business we are increasingly hearing about empathy: communicating empathically, making products and services empathic, being empathic with customers and so on. But what does  empathy really mean, and how can we develop it in a professional context?

One of the most complex aspects of market strategy is managing competitive relationships. Is it possible to collaborate instead of competing?

In today’s reflection we have something to say to Santa Claus: we want to ask him why he decided to take us by surprise with unwanted “gifts” and will try to find the deep meaning that these “gifts” carry.

The text of this article is taken from the best wishes message included in our now classic notebooks that once again this year we have proposed at Christmas time and has been enriched with boxes providing additional information on each key word, which can help you adopt a new approach for 2021.

We all receive and write a growing number of e-mails. This method of communication is really dominant at this point; our in-boxes overflow with messages of all sorts, some important, others eliminated without even being opened. In this article we’re going to concentrate on the mistakes to avoid so as not to end up directly in the trash.

In a conversation, are we sure that we can 'delegate' the success of the information exchange to the person on the other side of the conversation? Let us try to think together about the issue of responsibility in communication.

Men are social animals, which means that their survival and evolution are linked to their ability to connect with others, making the most of shared skills, creativity and ideas . However, putting heads together to create a powerful brain capable of producing shared value is not always easy: this is why it is advisable to resort to methods and tools that can help us. We will describe a few in this article.

The word marketing has entered the common usage of business language. But what is marketing for and what does it do in practice? Here are some answers.

During your first meetings with clients the best thing to do is not to treat them as such. In the initial stage, forget you want to sell anything and concentrate only on the person in front of you.

Differently from the past, nowadays we have the possibility of “wearing” a job that fits perfectly with our true nature. But how can I succeed in my job? I cannot answer this question unless I know myself better. In this article Luca Giorgetti explains how thanks to the enneagram

How to recharge the emotional batteries, which are fundamental for working in a company and empathising with the customer, colleagues and collaborators.

What does being free within ourselves really mean and how can we reach this state? Is there a way to achieve freedom? We think there is, and we are going to explain it in 3 steps.

As a result of the crisis amongst companies, the desire for internationalization has increased. There are some precautions you should consider when approaching a foreign market.

We have created a simple vademecum providing guidance on business phone calls, which includes a set of guidelines to avoid mistakes on the phone.

There are no magic formulas or infallible spells to sell. But it is necessary to activate a change - even a small one - in one's daily actions.

I want to share with you the 5 points of reflection that I use before starting any branding activity.

This is an article about the feminine side within companies and about the strategic role that, without doubt, it will play in 2022.

The temporal dimension of success is really underestimated and for this reason in our first article of 2022 we want to suggest how to give new rhythm to old goals.

Business ethics. In this article we would like to provide you with a compact vademecum for doing business with heart.

How to deal with requests and complaints without making mistakes? Follow us in this short, but exhaustive, roundup of the most common and dangerous mistakes in after-sales service, which also includes lots of tips on how to avoid them.

In this article we talk about Up-selling and Cross-selling: two of the most powerful tools to increase sales results. Let’s learn more about them.

In this article we will introduce you to methods and tools to explore the complex world of customer needs in order to unleash their ability to choose and guide them towards maximum satisfaction.

How do you start working on your sales training? By analyzing the negotiations in which you have been involved, especially those which haven’t been particularly brilliant.

A good after-sales service can be a source of real success in market relations and increase results.

It is essential to provide tools that help consumers and companies discuss the real needs involved, in the interest of both parties. Indeed, there is nothing better than a satisfied customer and a company that has been able to understand him/her thoroughly and to accurately intercept his/her requests. Therefore, follow us in the analysis of the choosing process.

What if we try to look at different types of leaders and team management techniques through the eyes of employees? What do employees expect from a real leader? 

Evaluating and displaying price correctly stems from our psyche, our core values, our beliefs, and our self-esteem. Join us, therefore, in this series of tips to help you evolve.

We agreed that this year’s topic to reflect on should be time. It’s probably not the most original topic it seems like it’s a very scarce commodity in our lives.

We would like you to approach the 6 trends that we think will characterise business this year. They represent our personal opinion on what awaits us.

Customer targeting is one of the most strategic activities that can help you define objectives, plan and schedule activities, manage time effectively and, overall, achieve results. Let’s now discuss how to understand the nuances of customer value.

Management styles have been inspired by the metaphor, or even the model, of military organization for a long time, so having a “mean boss” isn’t as rare as one would think. If you are the “victims” of such a leader, read this post to find useful tips and tricks to manage your relationship with your boss.

One of the words that is trending in the corporate world is diversity. How can we then turn diversity into a value to be claimed and integrated into the workplace?

In this article, we touch upon the core teachings of our Nordic summer, and we have summarised it all in 3 concepts that represent a way of experiencing life and work we have defined “Nordic Work-Life Balance”, i.e., flexibility, simplicity, and femininity. 

In this article, we will try to better “understand” what working on yourself means and how it is linked to what happens externally, i.e., to the “success” that we achieve in our profession.

In the pages of our “diary”, we have often stressed how important it is to maintain a good relationship with clients over time. Here is some advice on how to handle an angry client.

If you don’t feel particularly gifted with Simplicity, Beauty, or Creativity, this is the article for you. Together, we will try to discover and awaken them, getting back in touch with our essence, not only for ourselves, but also to share our gifts with others, which, after all, is what Christmas is all about!

For some time now, advertisements, company mission statements, and marketing and communication strategies in general are going through a process of “whitewashing” and are focusing on spreading an “ethical” message. Therefore, here is our opinion on the increasingly common trend of adding the word “ethical” to business.

Companies, and sales managers in particular, commonly believe that ethics is simply a burden that hinders the achievement of results. Let’s try to understand if this is really the case and what entrepreneurs and managers can do to help their collaborators achieve better results while playing fair.

What’s the best attitude to have with your customers to immediately ensure a positive first impression and maintain a good and long-lasting relationship? We believe it all comes down to proactive behaviour, as opposed to reactive behaviour. So, let’s try to understand more and delve deeper into this vital concept.

When a bride-to-be goes through the “ritual” of choosing her wedding dress, her mother, mother-in-law, the bride’s best friend, the father (who is usually expected to pay for the dress) and other guests such as her grandmother, a wise aunt and so on are usually all present. How will our salesperson have to behave to convince the entire “purchasing team”?

Anyone who is in marketing has heard of the Pareto principle, better known as the 80/20 rule, at least once. In the late 1800s, following empirical observations supported by statistical evidence, the Italian economist and sociologist asserted that 80% of overall results come from 20% of all causes. In time, this principle has found several applications in various fields, especially in economics. We believe that the 80/20 rule is particularly useful in marketing as it helps us identify real growth strategies and is a valuable tool to guide our actions. How can such a simple and outdated rule still be so effective and relevant? Let’s find out together.

We’re talking about finding excuses, those tiny justifications that we tell ourselves and others to get out of a tight spot. At times they are crude, while others are more sophisticated, but one thing’s for sure: no one likes hearing them, and we always have one on hand in our toolbox, whether we like it or not. So, what’s the right attitude to have towards excuses? Let’s explore the topic together.

We discover an ancient concept that has its roots in the more traditional Scandinavian culture and even seems to have Viking origins: Lagom.

In this article, we will look at best practices for managing team relationships by focusing on some common mistakes.

November is one of those months when businesses and professionals start getting ready for the upcoming year. Among the most important tasks is undoubtedly the definition of sales objectives, better known as the sales forecast.

A good salesperson should be out in the field, visiting clients, knocking on new doors-in short, pounding the pavement. But who should they call upon, and how often? How can they avoid wasting time or making fruitless visits? Here are some useful tips for planning an effective field sales tour that will help you optimize your schedule and achieve results.

What you’re about to read is a list of possible gifts that our team wanted to share with you! Here they are, listed in no particular order.

One of these is our Christmas tradition of sending a notebook (or diary, if you prefer) to those who have taken part in a Passodue training program. This notebook is designed to help you face the new year with a constructive mindset. The 2024/25 edition is dedicated to discovering your core values and understanding your own value. In the following article, we wanted to include further reflections on this topic, sharing our insights and advice with those who haven’t received the notebook. Values have the magical power to guide us toward choices in line with our true essence, directing us during hard times and through the various challenges we all end up facing.

Do you consider yourself a true leader because your team follows your instructions, and when working in a group, you know how to force your opinions through? Watch out! You might be confusing leadership with wielding authority, which are two very different things, and you could be making one of the ten mistakes we’ll analyze in this article.

Sooner or later, we all end up being victims of ‘time thieves’. The culprit might be anyone, or even our own bad habits. So, let’s learn to recognize and deal with anything that steals our time and shortens our lives!