How Important is Integrity in Sales?

Does this question shock you? I hope it does. What may surprise you is how often I am asked this question. On multiple occasions, I have been approached  and the individual was quite serious. They are asking because in their mind, for one reason or another, they feel integrity is not something necessary to be successful in sales.
Any salesperson questioning the need for integrity is not a person I want on my sales team. Not only do I not welcome them as my team member,  I don’t want them in sales.  Integrity is not an optional trait; it is a core value and it must be at the foundation of everything we do. Integrity is not something you turn on or off like a light switch.
Salespeople frequently ask me, “If integrity is a core value then how does the customer see it?”  My response is, “they see integrity in everything