The Sales Leader's Problem Solver

Chapter 8Unethical Behavior

To veteran sales manager Charles, sales contests always seemed slightly unpredictable. You never knew which reps would find these mini-competitions the most motivating. No two salespeople he had managed took them more seriously than Tyler and Stacey.

Both solid producers, they turned every contest into a two-person race. If the other reps won as well, then that was great. But the real prize for both was outdoing the other. They good-naturedly motivated themselves and everyone else on the team.

To boost revenues for the slowest month of the year (July), Charles created a contest: Any rep increasing their sales from July of the prior year by 10 percent won a $150 gift certificate at the local mall. The rep realizing ...