Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2014 The Rhetoric of Benjamin Franklin as an Ethical Model for the Practice of Sales Mark Craig Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Craig, M. (2014). The Rhetoric of Benjamin Franklin as an Ethical Model for the Practice of Sales (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/439 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE RHETORIC OF BENJAMIN AS AN ETHICAL MODEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF SALES A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College & Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Mark Craig May 2014 Copyright by Mark Craig 2014 THE RHETORIC OF BENJAMIN AS AN ETHICAL MODEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF SALES By Mark Craig May 2014 Approved February 21, 2014 ________________________________ ________________________________ Calvin Troup, Ph.D. Richard Thames, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Communication & Associate Professor of Communication & Rhetorical Studies Rhetorical Studies (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ Janie Hardin Fritz, Ph.D. Professor of Communication & Rhetorical Studies (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ James Swindal, Ph.D. Ronald C. Arnett, Ph.D. Dean, McAnulty College and Graduate Chair & Professor, McAnulty College and School of Liberal Arts Graduate School of Liberal Arts Professor of Philosophy iii ABSTRACT THE RHETORIC OF BENJAMIN AS AN ETHICAL MODEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF SALES By Mark Craig May 2014 Dissertation supervised by Calvin Troup, Ph.D. The world of the sales representative is rhetorical in substance and in action. In the examination of the current communicative environment of the capital equipment salesperson, the literature demonstrates that the role can be characterized primarily by being accountable for revenues and quotas. Additionally, the role is one that operates at the periphery of organizations and is somewhat autonomous from the day-to-day operations of the firm by which the salesperson is employed. A third characteristic that comes to the fore is the constant emphasis on building and maintaining relationships with the stakeholders in the interests of the company. These stakeholders involve relationships among customers and prospective customers and among supervisors, peers, partners, suppliers, manufacturers, administrators for billing, and other support roles, as well as the marketing and other facets of the very organization by which the salesperson is iv employed. Fourth, the salesperson has to operate in the rhetorical venue of constantly persuading these stakeholders. The fifth and final characteristic of the environment that comes to the fore is the fact that the salesperson’s role is perceived as one that is inherently deceitful and breaches ethical boundaries. There is a definitely a tension between ethics and sales. This tension between sales and ethics is illuminated extensively in the majority of literature on the subject of sales ethics. With the belief that salesperson must be a liar in order to succeed, with the implications of the lies being severe, yet at the same time the implications of failure being just as severe, how does a person succeed in sales while maintaining a personal and professional sense of integrity? The answer to this question begins by examining Alasdair MacIntyre’s notion of the practice. By entering into a practice of sales, one relies on the Aristotelian idea that all activity should be guided by virtue and aimed at the good of society. Additionally, by entering into a practice guided by virtue, one can complete a unified life. It consists of complexity, goods internal to the practice, and its own standards of excellence. The successful practitioner of sales embodies passion, a lifelong commitment to excellence, and the virtues of honesty, ambition, friendliness, wittiness and tact, justice, and courage. To accomplish this, the practitioner’s personal narrative must be consistent with this view of sales and the character formed by the habitual display of the virtues must fit into the practice of sales. In addition, the commitment and passion for sales must be congruent with one’s narrative to be in the practice. Practitioners of sales must learn the nuances of the companies that they represent. They must develop the knowledge of sales techniques, v negotiation techniques, and overall knowledge of the business. Identifying and engaging the assistance of formal and informal mentors with integrity accelerates this learning. This project illuminates the rhetoric of Benjamin Franklin as a model to follow to enter into such practices. Franklin, very similar to Aristotle and MacIntyre relied on the idea of phronesis to guide him in his business affairs. Practical wisdom is the specific type of wisdom that Franklin was concerned about when he talked about wisdom in his previous works. His work has influenced the American democratic society for the many proverbs that he wrote in his works. Practical wisdom is involved with doing what is good, whether in private or public situations, for the betterment of everybody. This emphasizes the importance of utilitarianism to Franklin’s views. This kind of propensity for practical wisdom is reflected in his numerous proverbs, Poor Richard’s Almanac. He intended the proverbs in the book to be used across all nations to be wiser about their life. Franklin provides a fine example of rhetorically robust, ethical practitioner for sales professionals seeking to practice their craft with integrity. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The Four Eras of Sales ........................................................................................... 2 1.2 Sales is Rhetorical ................................................................................................. 3 CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................... 10 SALES AS RHETORIC ................................................................................................ 10 2.1 The Communicative Environment of Sales .......................................................... 11 2.2 The Four Eras of Sales ......................................................................................... 12 2.3 The Relationship Manager and Conflict ............................................................... 14 2.4 Navigating the Organization ................................................................................ 17 2.5 Aristotle and the Rhetoric of Sales ....................................................................... 26 2. 6 Characteristics of Rhetorical Discourse ............................................................... 29 2.7 Establishing Credibility with Customers .............................................................. 35 2.8 The Prevalence and Implications of Deceit .......................................................... 39 2.9 Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................... 44 THE PRACTICE OF SALES ........................................................................................ 44 3.1 Practice Defined .................................................................................................. 46 3.2 Characteristics of Practice .................................................................................... 46 3.3 The Mentor .......................................................................................................... 56 3.4 Problems with Mentoring..................................................................................... 58 3. 5 The Ideal Mentor for the Practitioner of Sales ..................................................... 60 3.6 The Ideal Virtues for the Practice of Sales ........................................................... 61 3.7 Relevant Traits for the Practice of Sales ............................................................... 65 3. 8 Chapter Conclusions ........................................................................................... 75 CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................... 77 PRACTICAL WISDOM AND THE PRACTITIONER OF SALES .............................. 77 4.1 The Work Ethic and Capitalism ........................................................................... 83 4.2 Deception in Business .......................................................................................... 90 vii CHAPTER FIVE ......................................................................................................... 106 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S WORK ETHIC ..............................................................