2. Non-performers may need some skill training. If this does not help, then other options should be exercised.

• Take them out of the program and have them do something else.
  
  
• Hire new sales personnel to replace them.

Not easy choices.

Case in point

Some time ago, we started a major project for a Fortune 100 financial services client with a sales force of 150. They faced the exact situation. The program was enormously successful in every way for about half the sales force, while the other half were pulling down the overall result.

Instead of killing the very successful half of the lead generation effort, however, the company decided to fire about 40% of the poor performing reps. New reps were employed and trained specifically to support the lead generation effort.

Guess what? We and our client enjoyed a major success and the client now has in place a comprehensive, measurable selling operation. They are no longer reliant for their success solely on the success of the top half of sales people who sold profitably.

Let me elaborate.

The purpose of developing a sales appointment pipeline of ready to buy opportunities is to build a measurable, consistent and growing sales operation. In the above example, some of the sales force had been in place for many years. They had, for the most part, been “doing their own thing.” For all intents and purposes they owned the prospect relationships. In fact, the company often had no idea who the prospects were! In essence, the sales people were in control of the company’s destiny. Worst of all, they were not accountable!

In the environment that was developed as part of our lead generation and appointment setting effort, our client was now in full control. The flow of opportunities was controlled centrally in a relational database. Management now had visibility and control of each and every opportunity. Moreover, they had a complete and accurate view of the activity of its sales force. They could now demand that each one of the sales reps be accountable and report on the progress of each sales opportunity provided to them. And they had a structure in which to track all of that.

A comprehensive compliance and lead rating system was put in place to check and verify proper cooperation. Those who performed became part of the permanent sales team and were hugely successful. Those who did not play by the new rules were ushered out.

The net result? A sales force that was molded into a comprehensive selling machine with the company in charge of a measurable, accountable, highly profitable sales operation. Half way through the process, management told us they had "learned more about their business in the first 6 months of the program than they had learned in the previous 10 years!" A great compliment and a tribute as much to their being able to listen and respond effectively, as to the validity of our guidance.

Few managers want to make tough decisions that hurt their employees. We understand that. Some would rather live with the problem than with the trauma of handing out those pink slips. In fact, more would rather do this than deal with the real issues.