Please take a minute or two to listen to my tale, and give your two cents in trying to help me out.
I am a top salesman at my current job. I have been for a few years. I sell more than anyone, and hell… I even help other salespeople on the staff improve their sales. I make a damned good salary, and like my company a lot. I don’t really want to leave the company, but I might be forced to make that difficult decision.
We had a great year at my company 2 years ago. Last year was pretty good as well. But this year, for reasons I am unsure of, we let go of a few very important employees. It might have been a cost cutting reason? We are moving our offices to a much higher rent area, and the owners and managers were worried about the rent being so high. I was worried about the effect of the important employees leaving on our staff, but management made me the TOP salesperson in charge! We have some young salespeople with lots of potential, and they were convinced that they’d pick up the slack of those that left the company.
Well, its been a rather poor year so far. The young salespeople are not cutting it, and the numbers are way down compared to recent years. The company is going in the wrong direction, and I may only have a few years to make the big bucks in this field. I have other companies calling me all the time, inquiring if I was interested in working for them. Big bonus money, big raise in salary, and their staff is stocked with other great employees and salespeople. It would make life a lot easier for me, as I wouldn’t have to carry the entire load for the company, and I would be in a great position to acheive all my goals, and make more money to set myself up for the rest of my life.
Well, time is running short, and I have to make a decision soon as to whether I should stay at the company I am at, or move to a stronger company with more prospects of success, and many more benefits and bonuses. I will give my current employees about a month to see if they will bring in some BIG NAME salespeople to get us back to the level we were previously. If they don’t bring in good people, there is only so much I can do, and only so much I can acheive. Its really up to them.
What do you think I should do? Stay at the company, even if they don’t try to improve with proven salespeople? Or if they fail to make our company better with talent, I should move on and seek my fortune elsewhere?
Ed. Note: Stag, that is a tough one. Let me relay my experience to you (true story) - In 2004 I left the company I was working for to work for a big multinational. Pay was good, great resources, etc., etc. But I didn’t like it, it just wasn’t the same atmosphere. I was miserable. I went back to my old company. The grass isn’t always greener.
27 Responses to “I have a work dilemma, please help me out!”
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December 24th, 2005 at 1:03 pm
Are you Henry in disguise?
December 24th, 2005 at 1:14 pm
Yeah right
Smart ass who you kidding :- p
This guy is talking about Arsenal, the Grove and Henry. Very funny Stag but all good.
Quit your job before is too late
December 24th, 2005 at 1:15 pm
Good one, nearly got me!
December 24th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Wow, what an interesting story. But unfortunately you signed a contract Stag, so whether you like it or not you’re not going anywhere for 18 months.
December 24th, 2005 at 1:57 pm
do u want to us to grovel sir
because we will.
i don’t think Henry does it just for the money though - he’s still after the challenge
ncie one though
December 24th, 2005 at 2:14 pm
Thats a tough one. I pretty sure your employer loves you for your contribution. Why not talk to your boss about your situation? I am sure he will say he wants u to stay and heck, he might throw in a pay increment or two. To be very sure u are really wanted, talk to the janitor and the tea lady as well. U can’t ask for any more assurance than that!
December 24th, 2005 at 2:24 pm
Very funny!
Since you have 18 months left on your contract, don’t do anything for another year to see if management can get it sorted out. I have a feeling these new salespeople you have been grooming, will kick it into high gear in your office, after they get a couple of new seasoned salespeople to work with. Plus you probably have a couple of old ‘dead-weight’ guys that have to realize it’s time to retire. Getting them out of the company before you move into your new location will benefit everyone.
Grass is usually not greener: Petit, Anelka, Vieira reaction to Italian racism etc.
December 24th, 2005 at 2:29 pm
Talk to the tea lady..Lol
They don’t drink tea in America.. Maybe the Ice tea Lady.
What about the grounds man?
December 24th, 2005 at 3:25 pm
In a specialized sales position where your career at the very top is limited to 5 or so years you have to be single minded and do whats best for yourself, not the company which has groomed you. To finish your sales career without proving yourself against other elite sales staff in a company world famous for attracting the best would always leave a doubt in your mind as to how good you really were. Other sales positions can last longer than yours at the top because they wait to react to fast minds rather than cause other salesman to react to them. Big fish small pond, small fish big lake…or Biggest fish caught in the worlds deepest ocean… How will you be remembered?
That other salesman Rick, obviously felt more comfortable in a smaller company because there was less pressure to succeed and he had an easier lifestyle where he was not held as accountable for the various growth charts.
My advice…Go big or stay home!
December 24th, 2005 at 3:36 pm
Hilarious man
And you were careful not to use the word ‘ambition’ either..Pretty smart man….
I often felt some of the team problems are the same as company problems so one could exchange the two as examples easily.
Good job…
December 24th, 2005 at 3:38 pm
Sounds like the company’s going through some restructuring. Seeing as it will probably be around you, whatever you decide, make it quick and do let your employer know. He’s obviously been worth your trust in the past otherwise you wouldn’t be in the quandry you’re in.
Remember…be honest, up front and fair. Its all you really owe them as ambivalence in any business, especially from its big winners, spreads like a cancer and can rot it from the inside out.
Good luck.
December 24th, 2005 at 3:42 pm
A very key difference lies within the notion that rarely does anyone outside your “company” generally care what you do with your career decisions. I don’t have a lot of people crowding around my office cheering me on my every executive decision, so its me and family first.
Whatever the case, its always nice to groom your replacement(s) before making a move.
December 24th, 2005 at 5:33 pm
In the dog eat dog world of high finance sales who gives a rats arse about grooming a replacement, if you recognize a future ’salesman of the year’ let him tread water for now, then headhunt him for your new company for a lesser buyout!
December 25th, 2005 at 1:11 am
Nowadays you can even buy yourself out of the contract! If you stay you will be head of sales until you retire - if you go then you will be just another sales guy but will undoubtedly achieve your ambitions - but to lead a smaller firm to success is different than success with a big firm….so my conclusion….STAY (a top salesman in another firm did the same last year it was big news but he decided to stay and his decision was vindicated)
December 25th, 2005 at 2:22 pm
I made a similar refrence in post I wrote last week in an effort to put people in Henry’s shoes. You’re preaching to the choir here, brother.
Re: Don’t tell me the problem, tell me the solution (Score: 1)
by joshuad on Dec 19, 2005 - 09:15 PM
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I agree with Stag on this one Scotty. There’s no way you can blame Henry. This is all about business and looking out for your livelihood.
If you had a co-worker who was the absolute best in the business in what he did and your boss fired him to give someone from the mailroom a chance what would you think? How confident would you be in that company’s leadership?
In a nut shell it’s all Henry’s asking; what are the club doing? What direction are they going in? Before Vieira was sold, Henry was completely loyal. Are you going to blindly place your livelihood in the hands of a manager who just made what seems to be a horrible decision? Are you just going to abandon your manager?
Henry decided to wait instead of acting in haste one way or the other. He’s given the boss a chance to prove a point. Do you believe the boss has proven that point?
December 25th, 2005 at 10:17 pm
Wenger is already talking NON-SENSE about January.
We have Toure and Eboue OFF to the African Nations Cup. He has ruled out a move for St.Etienne’s Zokora… by saying we are not interested, and that “it would be good to find one player”.
ONE PLAYER.
OK, we all know we need more than one player.
We all know we are in a lot of trouble in the league. We have had numerous injuries, players going to the African Nations Cup, and Thierry Henry’s future at the club hanging in the balance.
If Wenger believes we should only buy one player, and only if he is right and at the right price and so on and so on… then perhaps we should just sack him now and bring in someone who can actually SEE what the f*** is going on with this team.
We can’t afford to sit around and wait and watch this team drop down the table and be thinking about bringing in POSSIBLY, one player.
I truly hope this is gamesmanship on Wengers part, and he has at LEAST 2 or 3 targets for the transfer window. If we don’t buy anyone, he should be fired. Thats my honest opinion. And I think he’s the best manager we’ve ever had at Arsenal and that he is top 5 managers in the world today. If he can’t see the problems and refuses to fix them (or at least try), he’s gotta go.
PRAYING that we buy in January.
HOPING Wenger is just messing about.
FEARING he is deadly serious.
December 26th, 2005 at 7:40 am
My advice: Take the empty cup you left in the dust by the end of last season, filling it with a FULL glass of water again, you’ll be alright, be it you choose to stay or leave. Or you may find life is equally miserable wherever you go.
Reality does not decide a person’s happiness, ATTITUDE does.
December 26th, 2005 at 10:46 am
“Henry decided to wait instead of acting in haste one way or the other. He’s given the boss a chance to prove a point”
You know, the predominate reason, I think, that some of us think Henry is not playing into our form is because some of us are so sure of what his intentions are. We all know what he’s thinking.
Were your statement uttered by the man himself, THEN he would be culpable if its effects were evident. As it is, just like on the pitch, he’s playing the good cop. Its called “self-preservation before all else” and is curious for a captian.
Speaking for myself, I am not arguing his position to leave. These debates slide there every time. I am arguing that his reticence is in effect holding the club to ransom without accepting the responsibility for doing so. Not accepting responsibility is not captainship.
So to be CLEAR, he can do what he likes with his career. Just be open about it so question marks aren’t stuck in the back of every player’s mind when the ball comes to their feet.
December 26th, 2005 at 10:55 am
He doesn’t and shouldn’t have to say a damned thing. Wenger needs to say something about the future of Arsenal by BUYING TALENT.
Its VERY simple Scotty. If we buy proven players and get into the top 4 in the league, I believe Henry will stay. If we sit around and do nothing and watch the season and future go into the toilet, I believe he will go. He is doing his best out there on the pitch. He’s only super-human some of the time. He can’t get the ball in his own end and dribble past entire teams before scoring. He needs help. Currently the team is NOT good enough.
If Wenger watches the world pass by in January, and doesn’t ATTEMPT to improve this team, he should be sacked. Thats the way I see it.
Its not down to TH14… its down to Arsene and the board. Its up to them really, do they want Henry to stay? or do they want him to go? They’ve shown NOTHING in the off-season and in this season. They haven’t spent enough to bring in the quality. The kids are NOT good enough. We all see it. The table does not lie. Its factual.
December 26th, 2005 at 11:09 am
“He doesn’t and shouldn’t have to say a damned thing. Wenger needs to say something about the future of Arsenal by BUYING TALENT.”
Both men are leaders, and leaders need to lead. If something looks to be a problem, you do what you can to fix it. If YOU are part of it, you might want to take a look at that, too.
Wenger continues to p*ss people off by saying that he will get a player if a good one comes along. We don’t like to hear it because we all just KNOW that the calvary is just waiting to join us and Wenger is holding the cash so he can install teak urinals in the officer’s club. But at least he’s talking. We know where he stands. The kids know its up to them. Henry knows its up to him. He also knows we want him to sign.
Just some very suspect captaining standards at this club, and have been since Tony stepped down. My ultimate opinion: Wenger’s fault. But at LEAST he lays it on the table.
December 26th, 2005 at 11:15 am
Fire Wenger before we enter The Grove, which is presumably 90% of the reason he’s forced to hedge while also doling out cash for players? That’s a bit rich, Stag.
You seem to be making an argument, in a roundabout way, that Henry is more important than The Grove. To the hearts and minds of Gooners who love him and Highbury, its surely true. To the future of this club, it is most certainly not.
You’re going to sack a man who built The Grove (I will give GG some credit, as well) and not allow him to set foot in it. Wow.
December 26th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
Yes, its the house that Thierry Built!
But seriously, I never made any such arguement.
The new stadium is meaningless if its 3/4 full… and the team is not playing for titles and CL football.
What would the point be?
Wenger has it all to do.
He CAN bring in talent. If he chooses to do nothing, and we don’t make the top 4, and Henry then departs, the BLAME GOES TO WENGER.
December 26th, 2005 at 11:40 pm
I understand your frustration but Henry’s doing the absolute right thing. I don’t think he’s decided yet as he wants to see the team’s direction after not replacing players like Vieira and Edu. It looked a bad business decision in July and looks even worse now. Why work for a bad business when you can work for a good one.
Honestly, I don’t think Henry asked to be captain but there was no one else. Also I can’t see anything good about announcing to your team full of youngsters that their leader and best player plans to leave the team. This ship is already rocky enough.
Wenger says he’ll only buy the right player at the right price. That’s crap! He’s no longer afforded that luxury being twenty points back and in 8th place half way through the season. Wenger’s star attraction is gone if Arsenal don’t share Henry’s ambition, and that doesn’t mean eighth place. Wenger’s got a lot of overpriced seats to fill. He won’t do that without a pretty good show. Arsenal aren’t that good a show right now even with Henry and would be much worse without him.
Henry not saying if he’s signing or not isn’t the problem. The problem is the financial difficulties if you don’t fill that stadium. There have been some pretty big decisions made since last summer that seem to be pointing to financial ruin for the club. The price of a player transfer is not a factor considerig the financial ramifications from having empty seats at the Grove. I know Wenger’s been incredible for Arsenal but like they say, you’re only as good as your last f*ck-up. He’s allowed his arrogance to get him into quite a predicament right now and it seems as if he’s completely unaware.
“We’re neutral”. Nuts!
December 27th, 2005 at 11:31 am
Dear Stag,
Sorry I’m seeing this post several days late, but I hope you haven’t made any rash decisions regarding your career just yet.
I realize this is a very important point in your professional life and decisions right now can effect you for the rest of your days…..so here is my advice:
1. I know you’re very disappointed at your company that some very important people with whom you had a great working relationship were let go a few months ago and I know your work environment hasn’t been the same lately and you’re not as productive as a couple of years ago….but every company has to look forward to bigger and better things for the long term future, not just now or six months from now. Yes, and sometimes it’ll mean that as the company trains new employees the production may not be great for a year or two but it will kick back up again……it’s a natural cycle; just look at your company in the 96–98 period….
Having said all that, I think you should sit down with your boss and be honest and tell him in a non-threatening way that you really want to be the best salesman on the face of the planet and you want your company to be a part of this but you’re worried that you and the company may not be thinking the same thing; if your boss (whom you trust implicitly) tells you that you are in fact on the same page then hang tight, don’t shoot yourself in the foot, because you have seen what happened to aother salespeople when they left for what they thought was greener pastures.
But if it becomes painfully obvious in the next six to twelve months that you and the company don’t want the same thing then I would seriously consider talking wit other companies who can use a talented salesman such as yourself.
Also remember your wife is a local gal and you have to take her and your daughter into consideration as well, because if you’re not happy at home it will probably effect your productivity in the company and you’ll be wishing you had your old job back!!!
So my advice to you Stag is, stay tight for about a year and see how things shake up in the company and then make your decision because then your best and most productive days will be limited.
Oh yeah and if you decide to leave, don’t forget to thank your boss and your company for cultivating your talent and bringing out out the best in you for the world to envy. You owe them a lot but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your own and your family’s future.
Best of luck…I hope you and your company will become the best salesforce in the world in the next year or two. I will be watching closely.
Your pal, Big Gun
December 27th, 2005 at 12:55 pm
Leave…Give it a chance and a proper go…
December 28th, 2005 at 9:24 pm
actually, in the dog eat dog world you groom a replacement if you want to be bigger fish in the same pond. you need someone to take your job, so you, yourself, can move up. otherwise they don’t want to lose you from that position, even for a promotion.
sorry, got serious over the wine.
December 28th, 2005 at 9:28 pm
the statements about the stadium being half full? is not going to happen. if if we drop and rise again, cyclical as football is, we will almost fill that stadium week in and out. even if they are not all hard core fans, which will be a pisser, this is london. i hope they will ALL be fans, i hope it has atmosphere. but this is arsenal, we annot win EVERY year.