Shield Financial Case - Challenges for Doug Bloom

Challenges for Doug Bloom

Initial Challenge: Advance career from sales person to sales manager

• Sales manager training…or lack thereof.  Strategic Action Competency

• 5-day training was chaotic, had tons a material to read which was not covered at training, and was primarily focused on the new First-Plus account program, rather than actual Sales Management
• VP of Marketing expected managers to redirect their staff’s selling efforts on the new product line immediately

• Doug’s primary concern was how to get 25 sales people interested in selling new product  

• Feared resistance from associates who may be intimidated with bigger and more sophisticated accounts

• No real or substantial support from upper level management whose primary concern is “bring in the numbers every month and everything else takes care of itself”

Major Challenge:  How to effectively implement the new First-Plus account program. Coaching, Team-Building Competency and Self-Management Competency.

• No true support from district director who has same mentality of CEO and VP of Human Resource…”bring in the numbers, and everything else should take care of itself”
• Failed to make quota the first month
• Sales force is resistant to implementing the First-Plus account program

• Top sales performer argues the new program will net her 10 times less than what she currently makes
• Doug was not prepared for the individuality of his reps, and had to learn each ones individual talent and what motivated them.
• Most of the reps schedules were inefficient, which was a major cause of for not meeting quotas

• Reps are resistant to corporate ordered change, as well as changes in their work schedule

• Rumors of favoritism and guaranteed cash for new hire causes more resentment with reps
• Resentment from reps when Doug has to close their Fist-Plus account for them

• Administrative Challenges

• Long hours, system crashes, approve salesperson expense reports, budget reviews and monthly reports due
• Doug falls behind because of the work he is putting into motivating sales force to meet quota
• Complaints from corporate because expense reports not turned in on time.
• Corporate disconnect:  “…make quota and have the reports in on time”