PJ's Friend Involved In Corporate Showdown

Self | November 19, 2002 | PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

My friend, Barbara, is currently involved in a big showdown inside of a well known company. I won't mention the name of this company at this time but ALL of you have heard of it. Anyway, Barbara has been ranked the Number 4 salesperson in the Southeast Region of this company. She would probably be even higher in the sales rankings but she only found out a few months ago that she could contact corporations and governmental organizations to make her sales presentations. That is one of her beefs since she wasn't even told about this and had to find out on her own. However, since finding this out, Barbara has successfully lined up many corporations and governmental organizations and her sales have skyrocketed.

Okay, so far so good but there now seems to be a big problem developing that is heading towards a major showdown. The #1 salesperson in the Southeast of this company is Larry and he is currently attempting to keep Barbara from selling to the accounts she has lined up. Apparently Larry is #1 in part because he is a sleaze since he has a reputation for scamming the leads from other sales people. Also he leans on salespeople psychologically to get them to quit the company and then he scoops up their leads that they developed.

The big showdown now brewing is over the fact that Barbara lined up a large schoolboard which has many employees that she can make her presentations to. Larry is now claiming that the schoolboard is his lead but all he has developed on his own was the teacher's credit union whish is definitely not the same thing. Barbara worked hard to obtain the school board account and there is no way that she is going to let Larry scam it off her.

They recently had a private meeting where Larry leaned on her and called her a "child." Then after the meeting, "Larry" said he never said that to her after Barbara complained to her supervisor. Rigbt now it is in the "He Said, She Said" stage but Larry is like a predator shark and is attempting to steal that school board account away from Barbara even though SHE signed them up.

I told Barbara that if worse comes to worse, I will present her case in DETAIL on the world's biggest Internet Forum, the FR. Right now it hasn't reached the stage where I mention the name of the company or get any more specific. But if Larry continues to attempt to steal away that school board account, woe be unto him.

Any suggestions out there for the next course of action if it reaches the Big Showdown?

[PJ-Comix]

Nothing to do with politics since Barbara is completely apolitical but it really pisses me off when a sleaze like Larry tries to steal away accounts that DON'T belong to him. Plus he is a LIAR. I know Barbara well, and she is definitely telling the truth about this situation.

[Auntie Mame]

Tell Barbara to stick to her guns. It's her account, period. Larry is trying to hammer her into giving him her new client, he's using the psychology you spoke of. He can't get her lead unless she gives it to him. He met with her in private in order to squeeze her. She should move forward, full steam ahead, with her (hopefully) new client.

In any event, no matter what happens, she's going to be number one in no time. That guy is a loser if he has to lie and cheat to do his job.

Once, when I was selling mobile homes, my manager turned down a sale of mine, said the people couldn't qualify. I went to him and begged him to make it work. He said, "No." Then, I said, "Okay. But I really really want these people to get their mobile home. YOU take the sale. YOU make it work. YOU can have the commission." He managed to find a way to make the deal once he thought it was going to be his commission.

But guess what? After the sale was finalized and commission checks were being cut, I stepped up and demanded my money. I got it.

Sometimes you just have to take the circuitous route to get to your objective.