I have an interesting story to share.
If you like, you can even make this a case study.
So here goes…
I know a guy who recently joined a new company as a sales person.
A few years before, he was a salesperson at a different company, selling something totally different.
But still in the same industry.
Now, he was given a budget, slightly over RM 1 mil for 2008.
And he joined the company 4 months after 2008 started i.e. he was behind other sales rep, and definitely his own budget due to his late entry and a grave situation.
What’s the grave situation?
One of his main accounts decided to stop doing business with the new company 3 days after he joined!
And he easily lost half-a-mill there…
And this guy told me he couldn’t be bothered.
He said, he believe that how hard he work and try to achieve his budget, they’re all meaningless. Why?
Because the company is not going to revise his budget…
…Loss a main account, budget not revised, new to all these — what could be worse?
He just press on with his daily job.
What did he do?
Quietly, he did the opposite of what his Boss asked him to do.
The Boss asked him to expand his market…seek new accounts…or maybe upgrade the current account by putting more instruments in.
But no Mam.
This guy came up with his own salvation plan based on his belief and some ‘calculated-risk taking’ action plan.
– He focused on just 2 main accounts
– He served them like hell
– He solidify his relationship with the existing customer
– He repeat his own success
– He learned from failure; especially the ones which is not his
He consistently did that all year long, since Day One he joined the company.
Net result?
Personally, I think this is the ‘killer’…
December 31st 2008, his Boss called him.
She asked him to check his Bank Account balance and call her back. He did as he told immediately.
And he was overjoyed. He smiled from ears to ears. He never thought that this is possible.
He made it.
He divided the amount Credited to his account that day (minus the existing amount of course) over his Total Incentive for the whole year and he got…
…slightly over 70%!
No wonder he was overjoyed.
In that moment, being new (just 6 months — just confirmed), losing one main account and 4 months behind, did not seem too bad at all.
Not bad at all.
Now, the question to you:
– Can you relate to the same situation this guy’s in? With the M&A, job-cutting, economic downturn, etc, some of us bound to relate to this guy situation. I guarantee that 
– Can you spot the elements that make him a success? I’m pretty sure they’re all obvious…
– Can you imagine what else he’ll achieve with such a head-start in 2009?
Lets hope I can write about him again next year
