One of my best friends is a great salesperson and business developer, in the event and media industry. He’s unhappy with his job, even though he’s doing very well at it.
Why? Because he’s not appreciated by his (small company) CEO and COO. For example:
- He set up a major promotion, had the prime contact, got the deal and then was told he’s not needed (even with meetings with his contact) as the CEO and COO would handle it.
- For an even larger event he secured the appearance of a major political figure, a personal friend of his, and the same thing happened. “Thanks, we’ll handle if from here” and then, as I understand it, they changed the agenda regarding what the politician agreed to do.
So now my friend is going to get through the summer and reassess if he wants to stay or find a new job. He’s not a needy, pay-attention-to-me type of person. He wants to contribute and then make sure it’s handled correctly, as his name is on the line.
Employees want to be recognized for their good work. They want to feel part of the team. Customers want to feel important. They want to believe you care about their success not just “make a sale.”
It’s funny how easy it is to forget this. The good news is it’s easy to recapture. It’s not hard to go out of your way to make someone feel appreciated. If you don’t they just may end up buying a business!
“Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was going at the time?” (Comedian) Billy Connolly