What is professionalism to you?

Question

Get on your soapbox. Doing some empirical research. Include your age and line of work if possible. Thanks

Answer 1

What I have always lived by was the understanding that sales (in my instances retail automobile sales) was not something that you do "to" a customer, but something you do "for and with" a customer.  The best transactions are always the ones where all parties involved genuinely "win".  

I am a capitalist, profit to me was certainly not a shameful thing.  All businesses need to make a profit to stay in business, to pay their employees, to pay for goods and services in the communities in which they operate.  But the understanding that my responsibilities to a customer did not end when that profit was in the bank, was the core of what made me a professional and in fact was the primary reason I was successful.  

In general, car dealerships and car salespeople have a terrible reputation, which in my experience is mostly deserved.  But to me, this represented an advantage.  Being one of those whom in my profession was genuinely committed to providing an excellent value to a customer in return for his or her investment and trust made it easy to set myself and my business apart from, and above the competition.  

"It was far easier for me to be one of the few big fish, when the pond was mostly populated with minnows."

Well that's my take (as I gracefully step off  my soap box).  ;-)

Mark H

Answer 2

WHAT HE SAID!!!!!!