A reader asks, "I ran into the president of one of my company's biggest accounts at a social function. When I asked if my sales representative was taking good care of her, she told me that she hadn't seen the rep in quite some time. According to the rep's notes, which I reviewed in our CRM system, the rep calls on the account monthly. I'm concerned about the discrepancy between what the president is telling me and the rep's notes. What's the best way to handle this situation?"
First, I applaud you for coming right out and asking your client whether or not they were satisfied with the sales representative. Secondly, I admire your restraint. Many executives would have confronted the salesperson about this situation the very next day. Instead, you did your homework and considered your alternatives.
Investigate the Situation
This could be a serious situation or a misunderstanding. Before drawing conclusions, pick up the phone. Call a few customers. As part of the conversation, ask them the same question you asked the president in the paragraph above. Resist the urge to ask, "Has my sales rep really been calling on you regularly? Were they in you office on July 17th?"
Speak with managers in other departments. Ask about some of the rep's accounts. Listen to the comments they make. Are there any red flags? Do they have some suspicions about the rep?
After these discussions, you'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with: poor communication between the rep and one of their accounts or a pattern of falsifying notes in the CRM system.
Miscommunication?
An example of a miscommunication could involve how the sales rep defines and records a visit to a client. Instead of showing up in person, they might speak to their customers on the phone or conduct sales transactions via email. For the purposes of logging the call, they might enter it as an in-person visit.
On the other hand, this sales representative may be deceiving you and your company. They may be attempting, through their call log, to make it appear as if they are calling on these customers in person. In reality, they may be off doing something else entirely.
A Single Incident?
Conversations with other customers and managers may lead you to believe that this is a one-time misunderstanding. When speaking with the rep, tell them what happened at the social function you attended. Give them the chance to explain.
They may have been calling on this account in person all along. Instead of meeting directly with the president, the rep may now be making all presentations and handling sales transactions with another decision-maker. This change may not have been communicated clearly to all parties involved.
Another possibility exists. The rep might have gotten lazy and stopped making the effort to visit the client in person. This often happens with stable accounts, where the rep feels business isn't likely to increase or decrease significantly no matter how much effort they put in. To them, the account is on autopilot. Though they shouldn't, they sometimes "phone it in" but log the call as a face-to-face visit.
Ask them the time-tested question, "Is there anything else that I should know? Will I be in for any other surprises the next time I run into a client?" If they assure you that this was an isolated incident and your investigation supports this claim, let the matter drop for the time being.
Impress upon them the importance of leaving accurate notes in the CRM system. Insist that they alert you to any changes within the account. Let them know how often, at a minimum, you expect them to call on this account in person. Remind them that taking the easy way out and phoning an account will eventually leave them open to losing business to the competition.
Pattern of Deceit?
If your detective work uncovers a pattern of lies, begin the conversation the same way. Then mention other incidents that have come to light. Listen carefully to what they have to say. Determine how you feel about their explanation(s).
Depending on their length of service, the severity of the situation, and their overall performance, you need to put them on warning or terminate them altogether.
Should you decide to put the rep on probation, you need to be clear about what they need to do over the next few weeks or months to regain your trust and make this situation right.
The President's Responsibility
When a rep starts to take their relationship with a client for granted or deal with any sales transactions casually, the business may start to erode over time. It could be lost all together. Company presidents should check notes in the CRM system and meet with reps on a regular basis to fully understand what's happening in these valued accounts.
Company presidents also need to get in their car, make a flight reservation, or pick up the phone and check in with their valued customers consistently. They need to know how the client feels they're being served.
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