Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

•  
  Pammi10/02/08 Report as spam
  1

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  I'm wondering, was it made clear to the sales rep what was expected of him in terms of quotas and sales goals?
  
  Before we push the guy off a cliff, it's important to know a few things... such as:
  
  1) Is he making a sufficient amount of cold calls a day / is he going on enough appoinments?
  
  2) Is he trying his level best to get the job done? (Regardless of the excuses)
  
  3) How long has he been with the company? (You need to give a person no matter how good, bad, or mediocre their skill set is time to gain traction)
  
  4) Does he believe in your company/service/product? When a person doesn't believe in the organization that stands behind him/her it's hard to effectively sell.
  
  5) Does he have a clear understanding of what is expected of him?
  
  Here's my take on it... only because I've been in the guy's shoes, sorta'.
  
  Some sales people are like babies... they need to be nurtured and told exacly what to do in order to get it done.
  
  I come from the lending/banking industry... where I exceeded the expectations of my seniors (in terms of sales) and was damn good at what I did. Then when the subrime fiasco took place, I made a beeline for the door, never looking back. I then started working for a different industry...and I, too, told my hiring managers of my past successes and contributions.
  
  After getting hired, I was pumped...and thought I'd re-create that Sales Magic as I once had in my previous industry. However, time passed and I was at a standstill (even though I was being trained and attending Sales Meetings once a week). Now, does that mean I'm no good? NO. That just means I was in a rut, having a hard time, and just needed someone to believe in me. Now of course, the difference here is unlike the Sales Rep mentioned above, I never made excuses for my lack of progress, instead I took responsibility and tried to assess what I needed to change...and what I was doing right and what I was obviously doing wrong.
  
  Remember, some of the world's richest individuals are people who were at one point given up on.
  
  (Not to say that this guy is a Sales Guru in the making... but eh, you never know)
  
  

•  
  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine10/02/08 Report as spam
  2

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Pammi:
  
  
  
  Wow. What can I say? What an incredibly thoughtful view of the situation. You're exactly right that they need should set very clear goals for each stage of the process (x number of cold calls, etc.). They may believe that it's simply enough to ask somebody to be a self-starter, and his requests for more resources might simply be requests out of desperation.

•  
  jefflogden10/03/08 Report as spam
  3

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  My question is WHY is this person failing? Is it a lack of motivation or is he just bad at his job. Maybe he is an alcoholic. Perhaps he is lazy.
  
  You'll never know unless you find the root cause.
  
  Fix it if you can. Cut him loose if you can't.

•  
  Pammi10/03/08 Report as spam
  4

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Geoffrey,
  
  Thank you. And exactly! Maybe the writer should be putting his/her Sales Hat on and getting curious, asking questions, and finding out exactly why this Sales Rep isn't performing...what are the Rep
  s "Pain Points"? He may be too proud of a person to ask for help... but it's the job of his seniors to evaluate this person and offer guidance/assistance. There's almost always an underlying issue...it's the job of management at this point to uncover it.
  
  You can't seat a child on a bike and tell them to ride it... you have to hold their hand and walk them through the process of learning to ride. Sure, the child may fall a couple dozen times...and he/she will probably cry and complain... but the smile on that child's face after getting on that bike and successfully riding it is only seen after the parent has dedicated time to teaching them and committed to being that pillar of support until the goal has been met.

•  
  chriskoerber10/03/08 Report as spam
  5

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  I'd be inclined to let him go. What I often see happen is mgmt. Spends so much time with the non-producing problem child and neglects the heavy hitters & "Steady Eddies"...

•  
  Sharigirl10/03/08 Report as spam
  6

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  CUT HIM LOOSE! The problem centered on character and attitude not skill set...if someone is lacking in skill set or doesn't know what is expected of them that's one thing. It's my experience that you can train up for most issues -- but what CANNOT be trained is CHARACTER, ATTITUDE. Try as we might -- managers it's our downfall -- we keep them on -- killing morale, respect, bottom line, productivity costs while they sacrifice nothing -- not even a little "man in the mirror. A great mentor once told me HIRE LONG & FIRE FAST -- this requires us as managers to quickly assess whether it's skill set or character -- spend more time in the hiring stage to really determine not only if their skills match what you need but does their CHARACTER reflect whats needed for your team.
  I hire good people FIRST skill set 2ND -- if I hire a good man/woman with strong character - almost everything else can be trained...

•  
  Pammi10/03/08 Report as spam
  7

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Sharigirl:
  
  Everything can be taught(except character). Our thought process can very easily be transformed...that's the beauty of the mind...it's a matter of willingness. You'll notice plenty of blog posts on this site about motivating one-self... if it weren't possible, the articles wouldn't have been posted.
  
  
  The key is to find the RIGHT MOTIVATOR...the same way us sales people have to find the right HOT BUTTON that will motivate a buyer to well, BUY.
  
  Now I agree that this Sales Rep should take responsibility for his own attitude towards things... but nowhere did I read the original writer mention that his attitude is bad. For example, I have a GREAT ATTITUDE, but I am not motivated by money...I'm motivated by success (which in the long run will result in $$ anyway). If a person puts a dollar bill in front of me and I'm not motivated to touch it, does that mean I have a bad attitude??...or does that mean that the dollar just wasn't a motivator for me?
  
  I think you're very wrong for passing judgement on this man's character... YOU NOR I know anything him.
  
  The problem isn't just the Sales Rep... it's BAD MANAGEMENT if you ask me. Both parties have some responsibility in the success of the company.
  
  
  Not saying any organization should keep someone around if all they're doing is taking up space...just trying to convey that maybe management should take a look to see what they're DOING or NOT DOING as well.
  
  Then check to see if this guy really was the Sales superstar he claimed to be. (Although the company should've verified this ahead of time anyway). If he truly was, then there's obviously an underlying cause that's leading to this downturn... if he wasn't well then it's time to say Good bye.
  
  Some Superstars are born, others are made.
  
  The problem with SOME managers is that they expect Mr. Sales Guru to walk through their door and magically turn the company into a kingdom of wealth... but God forbid they have to get their hands dirty to help get it done.
  
  Again let me state: I am a Sales Pro who had also hit a bump in the road in my career. Had I had a manager who was quick to dismiss me, he would have lost a valuable employee... one who ( FYI ) made him a lot of money eventually.

•  
  lady410/03/08 Report as spam
  8

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Thanks to everyone who replied.
  
  What happened? We let him go. Metrics and goals were in place, we gave him multiple chances to correct the situation. Interesting, we found his blog on the internet - here's what he had to say about the siutation a few days later:
  In chronological order:
  (1) Very early in my time with the new company, I decided I disliked my new job.
  (2) Very early in my time with the Harley, I decided this was not the right bike for me.
  (3) Around 5pm on Thursday, I was fired from the new job.
  (4) Around 7pm on Thursday, I sold the bike.
  
  Here I sit on a beautiful Monday morning with an amazing day in front of me. I???m jobless and bikeless. I???m experiencing quite the conundrum. Who am I without my job? Who am I without my bike? Before anyone goes there, I know I am much more than any job or any material possession. I get it. I truly do. ???Why, pray tell, are you writing this blog post???? you ask. Good question. I???m not quite sure.
  
  I???m looking to share more of me than I???ve been sharing recently. That???s one reason. Another related reason is connection. I feel more connected to the world when I???m putting more of me in it. Another is that I feel like I???ve been operating ???in a vacuum??? of sorts lately. It seems that all of these are closely related ??? I???ve been isolating myself lately. That???s the bottom line and the behavior I want to change.
  
  Before I go off on some tangent, I want to fess up to feeling some shame and embarrassment about being fired. I knew it was going to happen. I got wind of it from a source earlier in the week. I was preparing for it and doing what I could to change that outcome. In the end, the decision had been made and there was nothing I could do to change it.
  
  Why was I fired? The truest thing I can say about it ??? I didn???t want to be there and it showed. I had an attitude. I was not doing everything they asked of me. I had/have no respect for the people in charge. I had a poor relationship with the person who was thrown into the Sales Manager role. I didn???t play the game the company wanted me to play. I self-destructed.
  
  I could go on and on about what I thought was wrong with the organization, but it???s not about them. It???s about me. I chose to play on the fringes of job effectiveness. My actions and inactions had consequences, whether intended or unintended. I take full responsibility for my actions and inactions. One more true thing I can say about it ??? I would have fired me. I would have talked to me first to see what???s up, but I would have fired me.

•  
  Sharigirl10/03/08 Report as spam
  9

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Pammi,
  
  It's interesting that you think I'm (very) wrong for passing "judgement" on the salesperson who uses excuses for why they are doing poorly and blame their lack of performance on the company --("His answer is always that he needs us to spend more money on something. It coincides with an attitude of entitlement.") while you PASS JUDGEMENT on the management who wrote in...
  
  Hitting a bump while still maintaining a great attitude is NOT the issue raised from this reader. I don't know anyone in sales who HASN'T hit a bump -- but training without personal accountability is generally not going to produce a Sales Superstar. Have you ever managed? I've done both - am doing both so until you've walked in both shoes...I wouldn't be so quick to blame the manager.

•  
  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine10/03/08 Report as spam
  10

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  QUOTE from kristencote: ...here's what he had to say about the situation a few days later:...
  
  O. M. G.
  
  
  
  
  Have you ever read a more nauseous rehearsal of navel-gazing BS in your entire life?
  
  
  
  Un-freakin-believable.

•  
  billjudge10/03/08 Report as spam
  11

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  I'm just amazed at how little information (background, product, cust base, sales cycle, etc) was provided in asking for an opinion. Every profession has its dead wood, and it would appear that with hindsight, this guy was a member. But I have seen many "Sales Managers" who have absolutely no idea how to "manage" people, and are simply more overhead reporting sales data to higher-ups. My position is that a truely professional sales person does not need a manager, they should be able to conduct sales, and elevate data/numbers on their own, with limited supervision. If you don't have that, then you're hiring off the wrong script.

•  
  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine10/03/08 Report as spam
  12

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  QUOTE from billjudge: My position is that a truely professional sales person does not need a manager
  
  Whoa! What a great idea for a blog post!

•  
  bodiezekers10/05/08 Report as spam
  13

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Hey Geoffrey-
  Have you ever read a blog? To say that it is navel-gazing BS is comical, really. Don't read the blog if you're not interested in one's inner-thoughts. You really made yourself look stupid here, imo.

•  
  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine10/05/08 Report as spam
  14

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  QUOTE: Don't read the blog if you're not interested in one's inner-thoughts.
  
  
  
  This guy was given what appears to be an excellent job with a reasonable amount of support and training. His boss tries everything -- including writing to me for advice -- to try to figure out how help the guy become successful. I give the guy credit for not just blaming his boss, but that's about it. The rest of it is just whining.

•  
  getitdonesalesperson10/06/08 Report as spam
  15

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  I knew people from my former company were reading my blog. I did not, however, know it was going to be used against me in a public discussion. It???s sad, really. It appears ???kristencote??? took this personally. Posting my blog here shows no class. That fits with my experience.
  
  I was fired on 9/11 and this post comes now? Maybe it???s a function of Geoffrey replying to readers??? comments a bit later than when they were left. I don???t know and it doesn???t matter.
  
  I???ve moved on. I hope the former company can, too. I really hope the company is using this experience as an opportunity to ask themselves, ???Do we really know what we???re doing here in terms of sales???? The truth is ??? they???re scratching their heads over there.
  
  This decision was a personality issue. I did not get along with (and had no respect for) the person who was delegated to manage sales. It showed. This person was in over his/her head. It showed.
  
  I didn???t play the game the ???sales manager??? wanted me to play. I wouldn???t stand for the ineptitude I was witnessing. I was penalized. End of story.
  
  One item to set the record straight, my numbers were right in line with (or better than) other salespeople in the company. The proof was in the CRM. That was indisputable.
  
  -----------------
  
  ???kristencote??? ??? Ask before you post someone???s information to another site. Bad form. (You can call me if you want to discuss any of this. You have my number.)
  
  Geoffrey ??? ???navel-gazing??? and ???whining???? It was a personal blog, it was a time of reflection, and IMHO, many people would benefit from some or more self-reflection. As someone who posts online, you know better than to flame someone about a personal blog.
  
  Additionally, you don???t have enough information here to come to any specific conclusions. My advice ??? stick to the general advice. Without fact checking, you may be validating your reader???s errant perspective on a situation. Don???t do your readers this disservice.

•  
  Pammi10/06/08 Report as spam
  16

  Re: Sharigirl

  Yes, I HAVE MANAGED, so yes, I know exactly how it feels when the shoe is on the other foot.
  
  The only reason I chose to mention anything about attitude is because you referenced it. We didn't get clarity on the issue until just recently when that specific Sales Person himself posted, in detail.
  
  After reading his post I'd say that, wow, I was right (big surprise, eh?)...management DID play a critical role. Remember, as a manager (or anyone else for the matter) when you point a finger (of blame) at someone, 3 fingers point back at you.
  
  Billijudge: AGREED 100%

•  
  Pammi10/06/08 Reported as spam
  17

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  getitdonesalesperson: LOL...oh the irony of your user handle, considering the topic being discussed. However, I wish you much success with your future sales endeavours.
  
  I've been in a similar situation in which I had no respect for my Sales Manager and although my numbers were impressive, it showed that I didn't want to be there. So what did I do? I quit!
  
  I tried talking to my Sales Manager about his crappy attitude and addressed my other concerns...which fell on deaf ears. Is it surprising that almost every sales person they hired quit in less than a year?
  
  You can't clap without two hands. As sales people, we must take responsibility for our successes and failures... (management should, too, obviously).
  
  My advice to you is, if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation again, and you are truly unhappy, QUIT... don't waste your time...or the time of the company. Everything in life is a choice...

•  
  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine10/06/08 Report as spam
  18

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  I posted the question that BillJudge raised in today's post: "Are Sales Managers Truly Necessary?" Here's the link:
  
  
  
  http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=535

•  
  deesymin10/07/08 Report as spam
  19

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Definitely, worth Saving.
  Requires Coaching
  Requires Encouragement
  Leave him alone
  Don't cloud around him
  Trust in his judgements
  
  I strongly feel that he is reaching out to people that need something that you all don't have. So, he is discouraged.

•  
  montanastory10/08/08 Report as spam
  20

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Help him. Fire him. He doesn't really want to be there. Successful sales people know where success comes from, and it isn't external. When I need something, I buy it. I can, because I can sell.

•  
  ihs.unlimited@...10/09/08 Report as spam
  21

  RE: Is This Sales Rep Worth Saving?

  Who's at fault here? The sales rep, or management who hired the guy in the first place? Often times it's management that is incapable of leading the company or the product/solution is just not saleable anyway...and their solution is to fire the sales rep. The rep in this example may actually be right, the company might have a product that is simply not competitive enough, or marketing hasn't done a good enough awareness job, or management hasn't spent enough time on the field selling and evangelizing.
  
  A non-selling rep situation is always a good opportunity to look internally at the company and externally at the market that you're operating in. It's also an opportunity to review the business plan and targets and confirm if they are realistic or not. If after doing this it really is the rep's fault, then replace him.