Pain in Sales: How Far is Too Far?

     A lot of successful selling involves providing solutions for people’s pains. After all, if a product isn’t perceived as valuable to the buyer, they aren’t going to spend their hard-earned money on it. But when does appealing to people’s pain go too far? There certainly is nothing wrong with providing useful solutions to everyday issues, but often times these ailments can open up opportunities for exploitation and unethical selling. We’ve all seen product advertisements featuring beautiful models or all-too-happy people practically screaming at the viewer to use the product in order to be just like them, but promoting unrealistic expectations is simply the tip of the iceberg. What happens when real damage is done because of pain exploitation?

     Take the pharmaceutical industry for example, specifically in regards to opiates. While sometimes used to treat severe pain, America has faced an epidemic in opioid misuse for years. Lawsuits have even been filed against pharmaceutical manufacturers, one of the most famous being that against Purdue Pharma. According to the University of Washington, Purdue Pharma had aggressively and deceptively marketed opioids (specifically OxyContin) to prescribing doctors. Litigation against them began in 2007 when the state of Kentucky filed a lawsuit against the company. Since then, Purdue Pharma has been linked in several ways to the opiate epidemic plaguing America to this day.

     Purdue Pharma is a great example of how the line between solving a customer problem and exploiting them should never be crossed. Purdue Pharma caused irreparable damage to countless lives just to make a profit. When money becomes more important than the customer’s well-being, something has to be reevaluated. As sellers, it is our responsibility to help and not harm others. While the appeal of a fast dollar can certainly be tempting, it often comes at the cost of one’s character (if not more), in the long run. In essence, ethical selling is important for everyone, as it can affect the well-being of both the seller and the customer alike. Without ethics, how are we to be trusted?

Source: www.washington.edu/news/2023/10/09/prescription-opioid-companies-increased-marketing-after-purdue-pharma-lawsuit-uw-study-shows/