SALES PLAYBOOK
5 Irrefutable Signs
It ’ s Time To Fire Your Salesperson
Here ’ s one question I get asked a lot : Should I fire my salesperson or give them a second chance ? Obviously , the answer is very situation-dependent , where you have to determine if the offense is unforgivable or simply a matter of more coaching and training . So , let me give you five situations where there is no doubt that you must let them go .
1 . They Behave In An Unethical Manner . Clearly , lying , stealing from the company — including intentionally gaming or cheating a compensation plan — falsifying information , or attempting to cover up their bad behaviors are all reasons for termination . Same with anyone saying or doing things that are racist , sexist , or grossly inappropriate . You simply cannot afford to have someone like this on your team , period .
2 . They Aren ’ t Hitting Quota , And They Aren ’ t Doing
Sufficient Activities To Demonstrate They ’ re Trying To Hit Quota . By far , this is the biggest mistake sales managers
and companies make . Often the person is making some sales , but nowhere near what they need to . Further , you might like the person . They might fit in well with the company ’ s culture . Clients may love them , which all makes this decision muddled for many . But the bottom line is that they must hit quota or they can ’ t stay on the team . Now , before you do anything , make sure you 1 ) have clearly defined quotas , 2 ) have worked out an activity plan with them , working backward from their quota to ensure you ’ ve defined what it will take to succeed , and 3 ) coached them weekly , even daily , to monitor activity and ensure they ’ re keeping their activity commitments . If you ’ ve done all of that , yet they keep coming up with excuses as to why they can ’ t do more , they ’ re a dud . Let ‘ em go .
3 . They ’ ve Got A Very Negative Attitude Toward You And The Company . I learned this hard lesson a long time ago : Sour milk never turns fresh . Obviously , this goes beyond just salespeople . Negative detractors can destroy your company from within with their passive-aggressive actions , and you can bet they ’ re working to bring others to their side , creating an even bigger mess if you don ’ t nip it fast . But sometimes , the salesperson is actually great at their job . They ’ re hitting or exceeding quota and bringing in revenue . In that case , the decision gets a lot more difficult ; but if you allow them to stay on , you ’ re asking for a giant blow-up later on when they either eventually leave and blow everything up right before they walk out , or they create a cancer in your culture that explodes like an atomic bomb when you least expect it .
4 . They Don ’ t Play Well With Others . Some salespeople , particularly the good ones , can turn into prima donnas who think they walk on water . They know they ’ re stars and therefore act like spoiled brats . Don ’ t allow it . Yes , a good salesperson should be honored and respected by others ; after all , their actions help pay the bills . But don ’ t allow someone to get so high and mighty that they destroy your team by being disrespectful and breaking rules they think they don ’ t have to follow .
5 . They Aren ’ t Coachable And Aren ' t Applying What They ' re Learning . All new salespeople will have a learning curve ,
but they should be able to pick things up relatively fast . If you find yourself having to remind them repeatedly about how to do basic responsibilities — create reports , use your CRM properly , get contracts signed and processed correctly , or follow your sales scripts and sales process — let them go . Here ’ s my acid test : The minute I feel I have to beg or babysit an employee to do their job , they gotta go . n
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