HTSS192 – 5 signs of a toxic sales environment and how to move forward – Scott Sylvan Bell

5 Sings of being in a toxic sales environment

You can start working at a company and everything is fine. Over time the office can go sideways. You need to know what to do when your company becomes unethical. The company may have been great before but then they change. There is a point where some companies become toxic. This is a process and evolution of a business. Sometimes the change happens overnight, sometimes it happens over time and sometimes you didn’t see the signs.

Why toxic business environments start:

• Profits were weak the previous year
• An old manager is fired – average time on a job is 3-5 years
• The company is being prepped to be sold
• Bad professional advice

Management can encompass managers, owners, and even new owners. These issues can happen with people you know and people you have never met. 

1. Management or ownership is abusive to employees:

• The way employees or other managers are treated is like hazing, some managers treat the employees poorly
• Management plays games to get people to purposely quit instead of doing the adult thing and asks the person to leave – this happens to salespeople
• Outside vendors are allowed to treat employees poorly
• New managers are trying to prove their power
• Old managers are trying to keep their job and appease the new managers / owners

1. Management or ownership pushes for the wrong thing to be done:

• All the standards and the “norms” are no longer followed
• New management brings in their squad
• Management is opportunistic

1. Management and ownership sour to salespeople and highly skilled staff

• Salespeople are called names and treated poorly
• Long term employees are ushered out, they know the lay of the land and know where all of the “bodies are hidden”
• The 3 bounce – when someone is moved 3 times in an organization it’s the kiss of death – pay attention to if this is you

1. Management builds teams

• Poorly skilled managers are always looking at the “my team vs your team” scenario.
• They take sides and want you to pick one
• Sometimes its pick a side or get out – you have to read the subtext

1. Management plays with the commission structure

• Commission structures are played with
• Your money and or bonuses are never paid out

Your game plan

At some point these games are going to be played with you:

Here are 5 things you can do to prep

1. Create your own authority site and content and let your buyers know you have done this
2. Constantly evolve your skills so you can sell anything
3. Build your resume and keep one handy
4. Foster relationships with vendors as well as managers from other organizations
5. Be willing to leave when things go bad – if you are a closer you are the prize, someone will love you somewhere else