For
the past few years, since I began using this weekly blog to share stories about
sales and sales management, I have been receiving numerous questions from
readers including my own clients. Over the next several months I am going to
use my weekly ramblings to post one reader question with my answer. Please note
– my answers are based on my personal and professional experiences and in no
way reflect my company or specific clients.
Q: It has become crystal clear that I
need to terminate a sales person before the end of the month. The mandate to
terminate has come from my vp of sales and our vp of human resources. Christmas
is only a few short weeks away, and while I am in full agreement that she must
be let go, I feel terrible about the timing. She’s not a bad person, just not a
good sales rep. She has been on two separate performance improvement plans this
year with little-to-no progress made. My company does not want her to be on the
sales team at the start of the new year. How would you handle this situation?
A: This is a tough one from a personal
standpoint and very straight forward from the business side. Unfortunately, the
business is the most important side to take with this person. While I am
sympathetic to the timing, with Christmas in a couple of weeks, your sales
rep has been clearly underperforming for way too long. I’m sure there are
reasons she was not terminated sooner, which can be debated at another time,
but nonetheless you are now faced with the termination conversation.
I would treat the conversation as if it
were any other time of the year and try to ignore the fact that Christmas is
days away. Facts are facts and the sales rep must go. HR should be involved in
the conversation, making sure that any termination information is properly
relayed, and the conversation should be handled no differently than if it were
in September. She must be informed that her poor sales performance has resulted
in her termination effective immediately (or whatever date HR has set). Explain
the multiple second chances that were given but results were not achieved. End
it there…period.
It would be my hope that she will accept
her termination given the multiple warnings and second chances. But, remember
that we never know what someone else is going through in their lives,
especially during the holidays which can be more emotional for some. If emotion
does creep into the conversation or if she brings up Christmas, New Year’s, or
the holiday season in general, be careful not to be baited into showing
sympathy which can result in other termination related issues. Simply remind
her that regardless of the calendar, her performance (or lack of) is the issue
and nothing else. Her position has ended and the calendar has nothing to do with
it. Do not discuss the holidays or any other personal matter she may throw into
the mix.
I do feel for your situation and I
understand that my advice lacks all emotion. It must lack emotion from you, the
sales manager, because this is a business issue and not personal. One final
piece of advice from my own HR consultant. Under no circumstances do you
contact this sales rep after the termination. Again, the holidays tend to be an
emotional time for many, even for you firing someone right before Christmas.
You must remain stoic and not emotional. The now former sales rep needs to
grasp the concept that sales is based on performance and not emotion.