World's Worst Sales Managers Caught on Video
Sales managers are a frightening breed. Some are former top sales reps who have no idea how to manage people. Others have no knowledge of selling whatsoever, but think they understand it completely. The sad truth is that while there ARE few good ones out there, they're few and far between.
This post contains cartoons, short videos, and a commercial that illustrate the worst in sales management. They're funny... and yet they are also true, in the sense that these behaviors exist in the real world.
NOTE: The first video gets a bit vulgar around the edges. However, since the voices are robotic and thus devoid of actual human intent, I'm posting it anyway.
VIDEO #1: The Joy of a Salesman
This video isn't the most lavish production, but it does encapsulate a certain type of sales management style. The link was sent to me by sales guru Barry Rhein, who said he "sent it to a few sales execs and they all said they didn't know if they should laugh or cry as it hits to close to home."
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VIDEO #2: The Sales Coaching Session
This video, which comes from the cartoon show Shore Leave, was obviously written by somebody who once worked in sales, and had to go through a "coaching" session with a particularly clueless sales manager. (In fact, this manager reminds me of some editors I've worked with... the kind whose idea of a helpful editorial comment is "No, that's not it; try again.")
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VIDEO #3: Hiring New Sales Rep
This video starts really slow, but it's emulating the long wait that some managers give you when they want to intimidate you. It's worth watching if you want the full experience, but if you want to see what actually happens (a job interview from hell), move the cursor to 1:48.
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VIDEO #4: Managers in Denial
You've probably seen this one before, but no video collection of dysfunctional sales management could do without it. Although, to be honest, I think this behavior applies more to forecasting than to actual results.
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VIDEO #5: The Sales Coaching Seminar
I've posted this one before and I still think it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The almost empty conference room and the way the sales manager tries to get everyone pumped up by taking off his clothes is the apotheosis of every bad presentation I've ever seen.
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VIDEO #6: The First Day at Work
A group of newly hired sales reps report for work, to find themselves stuck with one of the dumbest sales managers in existence. It's part of a web-launched situation comedy that shows a lot of promise, in my view.