Magnus Marketing Blog

Wow, this is a story to top all stories as related by a friend who does consulting. The consultant also provides outsourced biz dev services and was working with an educational software provider cultivating leads and identifying opportunities. The VP of Sales was always "running and gunning" and only once had an actual face to face meeting with her in six months! Well, one day, the VP introduced her to an old friend and colleague of his who was going to be doing sales for the company. She was with the company for a year prior to leaving for another opportunity (which didn't work out). This saleswoman had zero success before, but was knowledgeable about the market so they brought her back (probably because they couldn't hire anyone else). The woman was known for being "sharp around the edges" - odd for sales who generally are known for interpersonal capability. Not long after the saleswoman joined she began to find fault with my friend's methods and abilities, chastizing her. In a couple of cases, she refused to follow up on set appointments because, "in her mind, there was not enough cogent information" to meet with the CIO or demo. She believed that her way was the only way.

One day, on the eve of an executive sales meeting she called my friend to debrief. My friend had some idea of what she was to present, but not specifics - being more analytical and "big picture oriented", tracking details of every contact made was tedious, rote, boring...as I always say - It isn't about ACTIVITY, only RESULTS. The saleswoman reamed her, told her she would make the team look like assholes, and hung up. The issue was clarified soon by the VP who finally decided to present guidelines. At the meeting, my friend presented for five minutes because the VP who lacks managerial competency rambled on for 30 minutes and left no time to adequately present. My friend had created a six page report listing 12 major opportunities that were or had been worked on in the last two to three months.

One week later, a call came from a concerned employee to my friend saying that said saleswoman, who is NOT an employee, went directly to the CEO of the company and complained to him that my friend "was unable to do the job". The CEO took her word and told the concerned employee who was flabbergasted that the saleswoman would do that: jump the hierarchy, go behind the backs, and make a serious competency accusation with zero substantiation. My friend tried reaching out to the VP to clarify and understand, but as usual, he was unavailable for comment.

The backstabbing bitch then demanded some info via email about an account from my friend. My friend was busy and gave her a one liner as to what info was sent. The saleswoman blew up accusing my friend of withholding info, not being a professional, and told her she wasn't a team player. My friend had an opportunity to talk later to the VP who sided with the woman, calling the sharing of info (the fact she went to the CEO) unfortunate and further expressing concern about my friends interactions (harping on the lack of information sharing, her communication (she had to constantly interrupt the VP because he tended to ramble without listening), and her lack of team playerism (she won't conform or be molded). Turns out the VP was a longtime buddy of the saleswoman, proudly having mentored her and worked with her for many years. My friend immediately, like I have in the past, terminated the relationship.

Comments:
1. The CEO had no substantiated proof regarding performance because no reports were done as per the agreement with the VP. The VP wanted calls made, not time spent on creating spreadsheets. The CEO should have shut her up and shut her down the minute she tried to speak to him, redirecting her to her direct report - the VP.
2. The saleswoman had been unsuccessful repeatedly and clearly has interpersonal and control issues. This is a person who will continue to cause trouble and toxify any workplace she is in.
3. The saleswoman was demanding things be done her way, without compromise or regard to team process integration. She nearly blew two opportunities because she was rigid and inflexible.
4. The VP is clearly an incompetent manager, he did not mediate or remedy the situation in a win-win for everyone. She has unnatural power and is his favorite pet, he put personal issues over true competency.
5. She, and it was confirmed, made the VP look very bad to his boss by complaining about my friend.
6. My friend was willing to compromise and try to accommodate the request of the saleswoman, but this was ignored by the VP. She also produced the opportunities that the saleswoman was working on, but this too was ignored by the VP and the CEO.
7. My friend was hired for her expertise, as any I.C. is, there is no molding or shaping involved at this point. Any manager knows that you cannot mold or shape, only maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. The VP proved time and again that he is immature as a manager and lacks the ability to handle a team. Reminded me of my former employer who wanted to mold and shape, the result there was that all the highly productive, intelligent, super-smart people ran - RAN - away.

The net result is that the company has lost a really good business development support person and has to start from ground zero. There is a time window involved, so the time they will lose can cost them business. Additionally, last I heard - my friend has approached a competitor about picking up some work and taking her talent and knowledge to help them win business...pushing the other company even further out of play. I wish her luck! Can't wait to read of her client's demise - I can see it coming!

Another lesson learned about terminating those who really need to go.