Dude Where's My Copier Leads "Ask Art"

From time to time I'll get emails from a rep in the field.  I just go this one the other day and thought it would be a good read for everyone.

From Anon in Maryland:

Art

I'm hoping you can help with this.  I've been in the business for a few years and I'm doing fairly well.  In our office we have four reps, from time to time we'll get leads and all seems to be good.  However, in the last two months it's apparent to me that our sales manager is actually giving sales (signed deals that he closed) and extra leads to one rep in particular with no rhyme or reason.  It's kinda of frustrating since I'm doing my work and could use a solid lead every now and then.  Is there something I should do or say?

Anon:

First, are you doing your work?  Meaning are you........
making the calls and setting the appointments that your company requires week in week out and every month? Over the years I've seen some managers gravitate towards reps who are making the calls, getting the appointments but not getting the sale.

If you are hitting your numbers for work ethic week in week out and monthly, then I would tend to this that there is something going on behind the scenes.  I'm not a proponent of "giving" a sale to anyone, they need to work for it and they need to learn how to close the order and many times this happens only with trial and error.

You probably need to confront your sales manager and this might not be that easy to do, especially if you know about these sales on the sly.  You can call him or her out and ask flat out ask why this is being done, it's kind a nervy and may put you in a bad spot.  You could just resign and have a resignation letter sent directly to the owner or owners of the company with the reason you left.  Who knows you may get reinstated and the maybe the sales manager maybe the one to leave.  You also maybe able take up your beef with the HR department, and that may be your best route if you decide to say something.  Maybe you can confront your manager and tell him or her that you like you job, you like the company you work for and want to be a long term employee, build up all of the positives and then come across with, however I'm just a little curious about how this whole lead thing works and please explain it to me in more detail and oh by the way I heard you gave so and so a sale. This might get your point across in a more professional manner.

I don't think there's a good way, however if it's not questioned the practice will most likely continue.


Art

-=Good Selling=-