Easy way out...of business

In my years of being in distribution, transportation and logistics I have had to work with many sales guys. I understand the importance of the sales team to the business because they ring the cash registers and bring the money in the door, but have you ever known a sales guy where you thought they hurt the business more than they helped? I have.

Now this blog isnt a slam on sales guys and girls, because when Im out selling my company I'm a "sales guy". The freight guys who have helped me over the years solve some of my logistics issues are "sales guys". Even my brother +Ken Adams sells cool Native American art work and jewelry over at +Alltribes Indian Art LLC is a "sales guy" so I'm not really putting this group down, but instead I want to talk about the few individuals who have "sold out" their company rather than "sell for" their company.

I was actually reminded of this today when I had an admin clerk at a company tell me her idiot sales guy didn't follow her directions. She had quoted an expedited air shipment to China a few days earlier with three different major parcel carriers and with us +Gateway Crate and Freight LLC . We were significantly cheaper than the discounted rates they had with those carriers.

After she told me the story I was reminded about a hand full of different sales guys in the past that would consistently do the same thing. "Here is my FedEx account number ship it!" These sales guys dont care anything about comparing rates or services they just operate thinking "the easiest way for me to ship this is just tell them our account number I know and I dont have to do anything else".

As a business owner I would hope that my sales guys would think about whats best for the company not what is best or easist for them. In the instance above we had given a quote of $433 to move this shipment, when the lady called she had explained that she had given the sales guy our information to ship it with us but he instead just gave the people shipping their material the company FedEx account number and it cost $681.

What really upset her was he seems to always do this to her. I told her I have encountered a few sales people in my past who would do the same thing. After a while these dollar differentials between the easy way out and what a little more work would have entailed really start to add up. Some people won't change and sometimes that can be the easy way out...of business.

Have you ever had any experiences like that? Let us know at www.gatewaycrateandfreight.com

Comments

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