In most companies the people at the HO hate the guys who go out and sell. Make no mistake most companies hate the sales guys – employees, agents – are just nomenclatures. By any name they are hated.

Many so called intellectuals who cannot convince anybody on anything look down upon sales people!

The company – I mean the ‘HO’ people LOVE the cheques they bring, but hate the sales guys – and this manifests itself in many ways..let us look at some of them:

1. You know our sales guys have fun travelling – look at their travel bills.

Statement made by the head of accounts. My take: I travel in reasonable luxury – some times in sheer luxury, but believe me travel, business or leisure is no great fun. The head of sales is answerable for sales profitability too, right? Just a jealousy statement – accountants do not get incentives, but they make the cheques!

2. Our sales guys have fun – they need not report to the office at 10am:

Statement made by head of HR.

My take: A genuinely filled in sales call sheet is good enough for me. Even better if he is getting the cheques, I care a damn what he is doing during the day or night.

There are many such millions of statements that the ‘HO’ guys make about the sales guys. In one case there was a sales guy on a salary of Rs. 3 lakhs – and he had earned about Rs. 19 lakhs as incentive. When he fell ill for a month, and spent about Rs. 1.5L the COO refused to clear any medical reimbursement (the HR was reporting to the COO) – saying he has earned ‘enough’ to pay for his medical expenses. I asked him if the head of accounts and finance (earning about Rs. 27L) had fallen ill, would he have paid, he said yes – afterall ‘he deserves his salary’ he added. LOL.

The worst thing of course is tinkering with the incentive structure – or bluntly lie about the eligibility. I know of companies who first bring a straight forward incentive scheme – if you bring money for the company, you will be rewarded. However as the incentive amount increases, some HO guy will tinker with the incentive system – and tinker bad. I have seen incentives come down from 19 lakhs to Rs. 3 lakhs in the next year JUST BECAUSE THE RULES were changed.

I meet scientists in government organisations who are busy doing something. They cannot convince anybody to do anything. They cannot see another person’s point of view, but know that they should hate the salesman. I find it interesting and sometimes amusing.

Even the salesman who is not an employee is seen as slimy guy who is out to cheat. The same people who do not know the difference between a credit card and a life insurance policy wonder what a ‘financial salesman’ does!!

Reminds me of Ayn Rand’s John Galt as the sales guys…so you know who is the villian, do you not?