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alecabral profile picture

alecabral

Director - Digital Sales Transformation

Arsonist
Politicker
Valued Contributor
+7

Biggest fail - manager edition. Do share!

Same as I posted yesterday, only about team leads, managers and above!

What's the biggest fuck-up you saw your manager commit, or you as a manager committed?

Again, no names, keep it clean!
🧢 Sales Management
🏰 War Stories
19

27 comments

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FromaBlankPerspective
Politicker
10
District Manager
This is one I will never forget… I was selling to small businesses and my SE was a total caricature of what you imagine an SE to be… loud, does everything at level 1000, barely functioning alcoholic, etc. 

So, we’re on a ride day and going to meet with a catholic school prospect of mine. The entire drive he’s telling me about how he just started juicing (like actually drinking juice) and he’s obsessed. He’d already juiced like $400 worth of produce that week. We get to the appointment and it’s in this tiny office with these three nuns. Mid-meeting, I notice him starting to sweat a little bit. Then, he stops the meeting and asks where the restroom is… and they point to a paper thin door three feet away (that also had a full classroom of children on the other side). Needless to say, we did not get that deal and I don’t think those nuns ever recovered from what they heard and smelled coming out of that bathroom.
alecabral
Arsonist
3
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
oh my God, that has to be either the funniest or the grossest sales story I heard here so far!
FromaBlankPerspective
Politicker
0
District Manager
It was... memorable. lol
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
4
☕️
My manager got shitfaced at a client diner and cost me a $200k proserv contract.
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
crap that one's hard to beat!
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
🦊
OOF 😳
CCP
Opinionated
2
VP, Business Development
I once told a guy I wouldn't fire him. I then fired him. 
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Wow, harsh. What made you tell him he was not going to be fired, if I may ask?
CCP
Opinionated
0
VP, Business Development
I was a fairly new manager at the time and was providing a lot of coaching. He asked if he was going to get fired and I said no because I truly thought I could get his performance up to speed. I couldn't. So several months later I invited him to find happiness elsewhere. He cried. A lot. But in the end, it was for the best and he moved on to a new path WAY outside of sales. 
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Ah, I see, so it wasn't a douchy thing you did, you actually tried helping the guy and I think you did. Seems like he found something better! 
UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
2
SaaS Eater
I thought I had some decent management miscues from early on but nothing holds candle to these stories. 
alecabral
Arsonist
0
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Lol, some are harsh. I'll share mine later as well!
FamilyTruckster
Politicker
1
Exec Director, Major Accounts
One of my bosses offended a customer during a night out. They were left on the side of the highway to walk back to the hotel. 5 miles. At 3am.
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Oh my crap....some people just don't get it do they. 
DrSmallprint
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Worked for a high growth SaaS company. Super bro culture (not Gong but in that vein) have a big 40 license deal and it's fire hot. Bring the VP in to help me close the deal. Idiot brings his wanna be wolf of wall street energy to the meeting and literally makes a girl CRY in the meeting. When the meeting ended I get a text from my contact saying "well that was awkward ..." 

I did not get the deal. VP never apologies and says there was no deal there so it wasn't a biggie. 
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Crap. That's a scary one too, I almost want to see the guy's face to see if the really feels he's kinda the wolf of wallstreet lol.
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Allright, I think we had a few great (and scary) manager fails, so I'll share mine. I've already shared that as a manager I fell asleep in a meeting with a customer, and luckily that was my worst.

Now, I had a manager who was just not cut for the job. No one knows how he got the job. Now, he didn't hide he was inexperienced, and I thought that was good and honest, but he wouldn't ask for help from more senior people, nor would he step down from things he could potentially ruin.

I flew him to Ecuador, I took him into this meeting with high rollers. Big account, would pay something close to 300k upfront for licenses only (I was working at a big IT company then) on the first year, and 300K on the second. 

The meeting is at the club the DM owns. I had briefed him about this, shared what these were like. Big money spenders, loved showing you how powerful they were. You know the deal, "see how big my dick is", so we went to the club and everything that could go wrong went wrong. He basically drank too much, shook hands on a 60% discount...and went back to the hotel with a girl the DM pushed on him. Next morning I can't find the guy anywhere, I go back to the DM for a breakfast meeting and the guy is so happy with the discount he wants to sign right away, and I'm like "what discount?".

Short story, we never signed the deal, my manager was so embarrassed he actually ditched me in Ecuador and flew back home without telling me...and at least had the decency to resign the week after.
RealPatrickBateman
Politicker
1
🔪Amateur Butcher🔪
My "Manager" turns every 1-on-1 into a personal session for him where we basically discuss everything he needs to get done and I give him ideas on how to do his job. Its NOT ideal. 
alecabral
Arsonist
0
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
Far from it
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
Yes and from what I understand, they're working on building out a Follow feature for the future. 
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
My manager got shitfaced at a client diner and cost me a $200k proserv contract.
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
I once had a verbal agreement with a client. My SM just changed the contract behind my back and we never closed the client. He needed a bit more revenue to survive his pip. Fucking idiot. 
alecabral
Arsonist
0
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
What an ass! Did you say anything to the asshole?
MR.StretchISR
Politicker
0
ISR
My manager got shitfaced at a client diner and cost me a $200k proserv contract.
Mr.Floaty
Politicker
0
BDR
I like the idea of being able to private message people.
Cyberjarre
Politicker
0
BDR
I like the idea of being able to private message people. There has been a few times when someone has posted something insightful that I would love to go deeper on that may not be relevant to the entire thread.
tequilaninja
Catalyst
0
Account Executive
is it common for sales manager to ask his rep to share commission with him? Is it an unspoken rule?

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