4/30/12

Leo

Lions & Lambs (Part 13)


Leo is the king of the salespeople in his company.  Like all male lions he has a mighty roar and loves the attention he receives when he brings in the sale.  But in reality, he is a cowardly lion; his hunting is really limited to friendly grounds and leads given to him by the company.  He does not like confrontation and will usually back down when the client asks for anything even if it means that he claims the hunt while there is nothing for the company.  He prefers to graze with the lambs and be led by the shepherd.  

So why is he considered to be King of the salespeople?  Yes, he does bring in the most business, whether or not it has any bottom line impact after costs which include his commission, and he has the longest tenure with the company.  It all actually boils down to the fact that he is a “F.O.T.O.” – Friend of the Owner.  FOTO’s have a huge impact on companies and often keep the companies from realizing their potential.

On the surface it looks like the perfect situation, a sales person who can produce has great loyalty to the owner and, through that relationship, to the company.  He knows how to talk to the owner, often has mutual interests and friends, and knows what the owner wants to hear.  FOTO’s also have many photos which bear proof of the ties and the relationships as well as, sometimes, less than optimum or business appropriate situations.

Dig a little deeper and the issues related to Leo and his FOTO status begin to arise.  The accountability systems in the company are usually run by the head of the department.  In this case, Leo is the lead in sales and since he is not a fan of accountability, there is little accountability for the sales people under him.  Additionally, most new sales people have Leo as a mentor since he is the lead.  It is not surprising that none of the sales people are passionate hunters.  

Even when the number two person in the company was tasked with heading up sales, Leo and the sales team were not held accountable.  There were several reasons but the greatest was that since management of FOTO’s was never fully given, attempts at accountability often resulted in ownership intervention.  Ownership was fearful of losing Leo and he made sure that his position was well known.
Perhaps the greatest impact is the most hidden.  Because Leo has a privileged relationship and communications with little accountability, the company has little visibility into lost opportunities.  Leo does not like to use company systems and is often given a pass.  Since he is the sales leader (and a FOTO) and does not want to use the systems, there is no tracking of opportunities, actions and initiatives.  He is not accountable for anything other than what he chooses to report and there is no visibility to what he does.

The company, like all companies, would like to increase sales and certainly could if the sales team was held to objectives, reporting and accountability.  Leads generated by the company, if triaged and tracked, would bring a better return on investment, but that is not Leo’s concern.  His concern is in looking good and keeping his relationship with the owner which drives his income and future.  In previous companies where Leo was not a FOTO, he had been a hunter, finding new accounts and developing the business from those to grow the company.  Without accountability the only measurements are business volume.  Source is not a topic of conversation and if it comes up, Leo is quick to change the direction.

Leo is a product of the environment and culture.  The owner’s preference for FOTO relationships has created many hiding places.  In this company, the owner’s insecurities of working with new people not previously known and gentle heart toward FOTOs is handicapping the growth.  There is no comparative because a great salesperson previously unknown to the company will not be hired.  In fact, they may not even get an interview.  By default, it is a closed shop.  

Leo, while perceiving great benefit from this arrangement, is also marginalized.  He no longer feels or is driven by the thrill of the hunt and will never reach his potential.  It is the owner’s comfort zone that has taken Leo from being a hunter to grazing with the lambs.



4 comments:

Unknown said...

thiet ke nha pho
thiet ke biet thu
thiet ke nha dep
tu bep dep
xay dung nha pho
xay dung biet thu
thi cong noi that chung cu
thi cong noi that nha pho
thi cong noi that biet thu
thi cong nha dep
noi that nha dep
do go noi that
phu kien tu bep
nha dep

oakleyses said...

michael kors, oakley pas cher, kate spade handbags, ralph lauren uk, ralph lauren pas cher, north face, michael kors, michael kors, burberry, hogan, hollister pas cher, nike roshe, sac guess, ray ban pas cher, ray ban uk, coach outlet, true religion outlet, air force, coach purses, nike roshe run, lululemon, coach factory outlet, coach outlet, timberland, true religion jeans, vanessa bruno, nike blazer, nike free, nike air max, hollister, new balance pas cher, vans pas cher, nike free run uk, nike air max, lacoste pas cher, louboutin pas cher, air jordan pas cher, michael kors, sac longchamp, north face, true religion jeans, abercrombie and fitch, tn pas cher, air max, longchamp pas cher, true religion jeans, converse pas cher, mulberry, hermes, nike air max

Unknown said...

nike shoes
michael kors handbags
valentino
moncler outlet
michael kors outlet online
fitflops
birkenstock shoes
polo ralph lauren outlet
pandora charms
losangeles lakers jerseys
20170418CAIYAN

Admin said...

If you have a history of illness that is difficult to recover, maybe our next article will help you to recover

Obat untuk kencing nanah
Obat Kudis
Obat denam tipes
Obat nyeri panggul
Obat tetanus