Having worked in various internet-related sales and Biz Dev positions over the last 6 years, I’ve seen a number of good working conditions turn downright beastly in the light of poor management decisions.
I assume others have been in the the same situation.
So, in the spirit of listification, I have decided to plot the:
Top 10 Ways to Effectively Kill a Sales Team
10: In the middle of the month, increase quotas for the month, and make them retroactive to the beginning of the month.
9: Change commission structures to eliminate 35% or more of the payouts.
8: Move the sales team into the room with no windows and poor lighting. Then monitor trips to the bathroom.
7: Institute a “No Laughing” policy. (This one was my personal favorite)
6: Pay people incorrectly over and over again. Then come up with novel ways to pay them like “gift cards” or “time off”.
5: Have constant meetings about why numbers are so low and institute #7. Then, when the morale drops, have more meetings about the importance of morale. This may include “team-building” exercises like the creation of a team “Constitution” which everyone on the team will be forced to sign even if they do not agree with any of the principles outlined.
4: Have your most senior and/or highest performing salesmen call the worst leads.
3: Arbitrarily set “Net” on products in order to manipulate the commission payouts.
2: Set unattainable “goals” that constitute an increase of 50% or more above the highest performer on the team. Then, when that fails, institute #5.
1: Instead of working to improve the team, set the team up for failure. Use #4 as a starting point. Then perhaps get out the gloves and have the team clean the toilets for good measure. Then institute #2 and start the firings!
1st year law student busy reading the coming semester's texts. Aspiring politico. Internet businessman. Interested in the socio-cultural aspects of American society, changes that affect the "little guy", use of authority (and abuse of it), Intellectual Property law and Criminal Law. For added flavor, I also play drums in a trip-hop band.