Sales Management

Inject Plastics Case

Topic 20

Stop! Read the Case!Answer the Questions

Was This “Bait & Switch?”

• Don’t Want Staff to Sabotage the Test• Only the Efficient Survive• Highly Competitive Industry Driven by Cost

Control• Information Tech Advances Have Caused

Same Result in the Past

Tough Decision for Roger

• Identify People to Fire• Justify Decision• Write Termination Letter• Terminate Them

What Criteria to Identify Cuts?

• Sales?• Sales to New Accounts?• Longevity?• Multiple Year or 1 Years Sales?

Wally is the Easy 1st Choice

• Gretchen??– Low Total Sales– Low Experience– Middle of Pack in New Sales

• Next Choice Depends on Criteria

Regardless of Choice

• Have Clear Criteria• Criteria Should be Reasonable• Cannot Target Protected Groups for special

negative consequences

Termination Letter Details

• Was This for Poor Performance• Was This for a Strategy Change• Is there any consequence for discussing

strategy change?• Open for Rehire

Why Not Help Them Get a Job?

Actual Firing

• Do it in person• Offer to serve as a reference• Give them the letter

Lawsuit Issue

• Law on your side• Facts on your side• Money to pursue• Desire to pursue• Managers not Lawyers

What About Retained Employees!

• This is critical• Meeting• Candor• What to Emphasize?

What is Pay Outcome?

• Not Good• Assumptions• Current• Projected

High Salary?

• Cut Incentive Pay• Are Incentives Optimal?• Will Pay go Up or Not?

What Will Happen to Profits?

Better Options?

• Need a Specific Plan• Political Situation?• Good to Stand Out?

Speak to Oberon?

Follow Up on Job Feeler?

The Hidden Next Step

What Have We Learned?

• Golden Rule• Choose Nice When You Can• Don’t Accept Assumptions• If you object – have clear Plan B• Goal & Incentive Conflict• Trust No One

Generation Gap

• My Generation• Internet Generation

• New Hire Norm Setting