Sales jobs, and the lying liars who work there

Do you have to lie to be a good salesman? Better question...do you have to lie to be a salesman period? Many people equate the two and assume that sales = lying. And though many succeed by doing that it does not necessarily have to be the case. What I've noticed is that many people have an ethical falling once or twice, but it is really the system in place that can either positively or negatively reinforce such behavior. If someone does something considered "unethical" but gets ever increasing amounts of money for doing so, they are in essence being told that is the "right" thing to do. When did profits become more important then ethics?

What I also wonder is the lying that goes on on the other side...by the client. How many times have you been strung along by a client who gave all the right buying signals but at the end the sale never appeared? Before you go blaming yourself and thinking you missed some cue (which might of course be the case), keep in mind it's often human nature to avoid conflict. Some people just don't want to say no. Others know what "no" leads to for a salesman...more questions and pitches. Sometimes calling someone who would normally be interested will just give negative responses based on other factors (time of day, level of blood alcohol level, etc.) So while the issue for many clients has been how to get an honest salesman...here's a question from an honest salesman: How can I get an honest client?