1,000 Salespeople Called This CEO a Jerk
I seem to have touched a nerve. When I wrote Why This CEO Will Never Hire Another Salesperson last week, I had no idea that it would create a firestorm. I have written hundreds of blog posts over the years, and this one got people more fired up than any other. I was flattered but also a bit concerned.
Over 450,000 people read that article and tons of folks had interesting things to say. Over 2,500 people shared their thoughts in three ways: by commenting on the post, by mailing me directly, and by asking to connect on LinkedIn. Here is a small sampling of what they wrote:
The angry
Are you purposely trying to put people who work in your industry out of a job? Do you have any idea how much damage you've just done? This is how we feed our families, you arrogant jerk.
The inspired
I have been having various Sales and Management positions in my 20-year career in IT. I have always felt that the way we do Sales is somehow fundamentally wrong, but I haven’t managed to formulate it so clearly as Brian.
The thoughtful
As a 'salesperson' and former VP of Sales, I cringed at the introduction, but as in all things that produce growth, pain is good! You nailed it!
Whatever you believe, I want to expand on some of my assertions and make a few clarifying points:
Customers are now in control
In the past, the job of a salesperson was to convince prospects to trade money in exchange for whatever they were selling. But we have moved from the age of the seller to the age of the customer. Customers have access to instant information, are empowered to share their opinions about products and services, and have more alternatives than ever before. Continue to ignore this and you may become irrelevant.
The function of sales is being transformed
One person commented and asked if a company had bad manufacturing, would they stop manufacturing altogether? Absolutely not -- there would be no product. This question highlighted a misunderstanding of what I wrote. This is not about "bad" sales people, and as I stated, "There will always be people who work with customers." This is about what customers know, need, and how we can best interact with them. I do not believe that commission based selling creates the best outcomes for the customer or company.
Yes, I have hired and worked with some great salespeople
I think a lot of people with business development, account management, and sales in their job title felt threatened and did not try to think through the implications of what I was suggesting. I have worked with lots of talented salespeople. I firmly stand by the idea that informed prospects want to buy and not be sold to.
Our Aha! Customer Success team is not just another name for Sales
* They do not have a quota
* They do not prospect
* They are not compensated when a customer signs up
* They manage all customer interactions (both before and after a customer has purchased our service)
The idea that commissioned-based approaches to sales is under threat applies to technology, but other industries are being transformed as well.
The auto industry is also backing away from commission models. Instead, billion-dollar brands like Tesla [NASDAQ: TSLA] are making the bold choice to position themselves as intentionally different. This means Tesla sales teams are not motivated by commission. It clearly states on the Telsa careers website that new hires will epitomize the no hassle, low pressure Tesla sales experience.
I wrote the piece, so it is a reflection of what I believe and how we run Aha! I am not alone in my thinking and I accept the various insults and appreciate the compliments. I know that contrarian ideas are often considered heretical before they are understood or become the norm.
Do you still believe that commissioned-based selling is best for customers and companies?
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ABOUT BRIAN AND AHA!
Brian seeks business and wilderness adventure. He has been the founder or early employee of six cloud-based software companies and is the CEO of Aha! -- the world's #1 product roadmap software. His last two companies were acquired by Aruba Networks [ARUN] and Citrix [CTXS].
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Market Sales Representative at Dawn Foods Global
9 年I have to say that I finlly have heard someone who believes the way I do, I worked as a sales person for 15 years for a national food company. I worked next to sales peaple that pushed products on to the customer that they didn't need just to pad there pocket , my believe was to become the person that the customer trusted to help them grow their business, even if I didn't make a commission. I thiught I was the only one who understood how important that was to to customer. You know what you're doing! Keep up the good work!
Results-Driven Sales & Marketing Professional with expertise in relationship building and territory management.
9 年I think Brian has it exactly right. I have been in commission sales for many years and would like to get that monkey off my back when presenting solutions to my prospects. If you care about the customers experience before, during and after a sale, then the non-commission sales model should not frighten or anger you.
Well Brian, this commissioned sales rep will be relationship selling long after your technology and your Aha are simply a distant thought on no ones radar. Second oldest profession on the planet and not going anyway any time soon. Everything you touch see and use in your day all started with a sale!
Luxury & Sustainable Packaging Manufacturer/ Professional Printer
10 年Interesting article, very special insignful view.