Can you help me handle this meeting?

[Joyful26]

I hope you can advise me how to handle this situation.

I work in a small company and report into the sales director who is quite new.

He has just hired a new sales manager (his son) who has been in the job for 3 months.

I’ve been getting increasingly stressed that no sales have been made and there is no plan or strategy.

I’ve held my tongue as that is a matter for the ceo and md. But strangely they don’t seem to be challenging him.

I feel I’m the only one who can see that there is no plan or effort in place.

We’re meeting tomorrow to discuss marketing with the sales director and sales manager. I want to present my plan of what I think they should do. I appreciate it is stepping on toes, and I guess what I’m really doing is calling the SD out on not having a plan or making an effort.

I do want the business and relationship to work,so I realise that I should try to present the plan as working with him.

I’m a bit stuck to be honest. I’m really frustrated because it’s not my place to say. But at the end of the day I’m actually the only one with any experience around here of lead generation and events.

I’m used to managing those campaigns and tracking response.

Right now they say they’ll go to the events personally rather than take a stand. Then they don’t go. Then they have not once contacted a single lead. Because they say they are too busy. They have also not made any sales.

As I say it could be a problem for the ceo to worry about not me. But the ceo probably thinks it’s all in hand - whereas I know they’re doing nothing.

I don’t really know what to do but I feel really frustrated

I think I would say something along the lines of I know this is awkward because he's your son but I have some real concerns about xyz and and some ideas of ways I can help, if you'd like to hear them.

If they wouldn't, you'll have to look for something else, but hopefully they'll be glad of it.

This sounds crazy - what are they actually doing all day? Is anyone selling anything? Won’t this come up anyway, as part of tracking KPIs?

If they are going to hire someone who can't do the job but has only got it through nepotism, youre on a hiding to nothing.

Agree you can dress it up as how's X doing? How can I help him? But I think you are setting yourself up for being the fall guy when X continues to underperform.

I'd be considering my options...

Tbh my main problem is with the director for not giving him any direction, role or plan, which is why I genuinely want to help. But keep on getting slapped back down when I try.

Choose any number of corporate bullshit bingo acronyms, but the Sales Director should have some goals, strategies and measures, ideally in a document which you are all working towards. Presumably you all have targets? Do you track performance monthly or quarterly. This is always a helpful ‘in’ to see how progress is going and open the discussion if it’s not. Whatever you say, make it data based and not emotional. Don’t just be worried, be worried because we are off target on x and y and he’s my suggested solution.

Also how long have you been there and what’s your relationship like with the CEO? It sounds like he’s brought his son in for work experience 🤷‍♀️

How did the meeting go @Joyful26 ?

Look for a new job. It's obvious who's going to get fired when revenue stops, and it won't be the son.

What is your job title/role?

Weirdly, I'm in a similar situation.

New sales director appointed towards the end of last year and a new sales person started at the start of the year, who is his niece. These two now make up the entire sales force of the team.

She's not made a single sale and is messing everything up. But the problem is that he has not given her any direction.

The head of the department doesn't seem to be bothered, but the company is happy to make entire teams redundant if they're not performing.

I keep trying to get them to do things but just get ignored. How did your meeting go?