GgWP profile picture
GgWP profile picture

GgWP

AE

Fire Starter
Good Citizen
Contributor

To sales managers, directors, and VPs that have gone through the experience of having to lay off individual contributors, what decision making framework were you either 1) given, or 2) created to determine who to keep and who to let go?

Just curious what this looks like. Area sales managers - we’re you told by directors/VPs, you need to get rid of X people on your team?


Were you given the list of people that you need to notify, without your involvement in the decision making process?

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jefe
Arsonist
4
🍁
I've had to fire but never had to layoff.

It's only been individuals based on results/action.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
Lucky for you.
jefe
Arsonist
1
🍁
Yea I’m thankful for that. Definitely been on the receiving end though 😞
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
3
Bravado's Resident Asshole
It almost always comes from up the ladder and then rides on the lowest manager's shoulders.
jefe
Arsonist
3
🍁
The joys of middle management.
GgWP
Fire Starter
0
AE
Interesting. So there’s no discretion from the sales manager/director as to who goes or stays I suppose
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
0
Bravado's Resident Asshole
not very often. It is politics from upper management/ownership and then numbers speak louder. KPIs and Quota reached. Also, how much their salary cap is being relieved.
Pachacuti
Politicker
2
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
I have only had to let go people who weren’t performing and not really trying to perform.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
0
Sales Rep
Was it up to you or was their a push from leadership? Curious since I have always been an IC and managers never talk about the process
Pachacuti
Politicker
1
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
It was both. While I may come across here as a bit heartless, I’m actually pretty empathetic. I don’t want to just let someone go who is working hard but not performing. I’ll look for other areas where they could be successful.

But I don’t have much sympathy for someone who just isn’t trying.
FinanceEngineer
Politicker
2
Sr Director, sales and partnerships
A little bit of both. I was told that I need to cut x number of people, and that I has to rank them somehow. So I did.
Arzola
Valued Contributor
-1
Business administration
Yes, is a little bit of both, 100% agree with u bro
UserNotFound
Politicker
2
Account Executive
Never been in this position- but recently my company did a big round of layoffs and it really ate my manager up. On a call with me he let emotions get the best of him and yelled "some fucking CFO draws lines on a map- clears it with lawyers and now I have to go ruin a family's stability right before the holidays"

So... that spoke pretty loud to me...
Jeffreed
Politicker
1
Account exec
My company recently laid off two AE’s. One had mailed it in months ago, but the other was one of the higher performing younger guys which was a surprise. Apparently him the sales manager didn’t get along and he chose him to layoff over other less successful AES.
ChumpChange
Politicker
1
Channel Manager
I was notified by the exec that runs my org. They gave me the news, the reason, the timing, and lastly... the headcount. They told me to do the best that I can and pick 6 people who be let go. I went by metrics, attendance, pay scale, and overall work ethic outside of their day-to-day role. A top 5 shitty day that I'll never forget.
activity
Politicker
0
VP, Business Development
Generally, they try to stick to metrics when making these decisions so that there isn't any favoritism. Reducing the risk of a lawsuit.
BourbonKing
Valued Contributor
0
VP of Sales
Involved in 3 layoffs in my sales management career. Each time I was given a number of positions to let go, but not names. My job was to construct an objective, defensible way to stack rank and evaluate all associates and determine who would be impacted. It always involved several KPI's/metrics. Extreme care taken to make subjective decisions based on personalities or relationships.
WhoDey
Opinionated
0
VP of Sales
Have never been told who to layoff, just how many positions to cut.

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