"What Do You Do When a Top Producer Quits?" - 03/20/19 Edition
Stephen Says Column

 Dear Stephen:

 
 I own a Steelcase dealership in the Southeast. One of my top sales producers just quit.
 
 He was a senior sales person at my dealer who after 2 years had well earned his title of VP. We liked him so much and thought he was happy at our company. I brought this guy in on sales, elevated him to VP within two years and then gave him a full team consisting of four junior salespeople and project managers. We really had great aspirations for him.
 
 This guy was a furniture dealers’ dream, he both developed business of his own and maintained his accounts while mentoring and training his own
 team to do the same. He made money on all of it. Zero conflict or politics within our organization, truly no issues to speak of. All dealers virtually pay the same compensation to big sales producers so needless to say, this guy had no complaints financially.
 
 Most recently, I hired a new full VP of Sales. It was a good outside hire from another industry and I feel like it was the correct decision for my company. I had been doing the job before in addition to my role as CEO so I felt like it was time for somebody new to step in. At the time, it really did not occur to me to promote the VP I am writing about who quit. His team was doing so well, and he seemed to express very little interest in the position. We vaguely discussed it and dropped it. Then 3 months later, he quits.
 
 In our exit interview, he expressed his frustration with being passed for promotion. He felt like I had lost confidence in him, and he lost face within the company. I did not pick up on this and so I had nothing to “counter offer” him with. The job he may have wanted was now filled. I am happy with the new hire and I guess if I thought the senior VP job was for the man that quit, it would have come to me naturally. It did not.

I am trying to decide if I should replace him, promote within the team, or divide the team up. Business is strong yet I feel it getting slower. The shock of a major player leaving made me want to pick up the phone and call a headhunter, but now I wonder if I really need to rush and refill the opening?
 
 The accounts he was selling have great relationships with him, some may follow him to the new dealer. There is however still great value in my company and the fine service we give our customers. Before you ask, yes, he signed a nonsolicitation, but I am not sure it is worth the paper it is printed on because I cannot afford to alienate a Fortune 500 client if they like this guy. It’s less about the revenue from the business then just when do I know if I really need to replace someone or just figure out something new? What do I do?
 
 Signed,
 Tough Decision!
 

 Dear Decider,

 
 You may not realize this, but you have already answered your own question and learned a valuable lesson in the process. There is no need to hire fast!
 
 All business owners should be aware that when and if you have an internal opening, always search inside your company before turning your sights out. That does not mean you have to offer a promotion to someone internally every time, but you have a responsibility to share the opening with your employees first. If you feel your internal person is not right, explain why. I might add as a workplace expert that if you’re not training and mentoring people within your own organization so they are easily promotable, you are not doing your job. You should always have people within your team you can promote, or you may have the wrong team to begin with. I totally understand your decision to hire externally but next time, it falls on you to better explain to your people why you took this action. Lesson learned.
 
 To answer your direct question; my suggestion is you not rush to replace this person.
 
 Rather, take the two most senior people in that guy’s sales team, assign them to this guy’s accounts and then give them both incremental promotions. It is that simple. Your focus needs to be on capturing the existing business you have and engaging with this guy’s customers, not replacing him as soon as he walks out the door. I would even recommend that you move fast and personally get in front his customers yourself. Yes, get out from behind your owner’s desk and make the call (not your new VP of sales). Got it?
 
 Do not make a panic hire, they never work out. Moreover, you do not want other members of his team to follow him. Speak with his team directly and make sure they know that they will be inheriting all of this guy’s existing business. I say; leave the job open, divide up the accounts and then re-assess your situation in 6-9 months to see if you really need to replace this person. Be patient!
 
 Dealers tend to think new sales people means new revenue but unless you are prepared to spend a lot of time on training, this is not the case. Hiring some senior person that your competitors want to get rid of is not the answer either. Slow and patient. Recognize that not every opening has to be filled. Look at your team once some time has passed and promote the best. It is really that simple.
 
 Stephen
 

 You can send your workplace questions to Stephen at: StephenSays@bellow.press
 
 Questions selected to be answered, will appear in this column. Please use the Subject: Stephen Says for all emails. Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group, global executive recruiters located in New York. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenviscusi. Like Stephen on Facebook and follow him on LinkedIn.