ASK HR: I am almost quitting my job, please advise me before I do

Q. As a write this, I am on the verge of writing a resignation letter as this job is driving me crazy. I work as a sales executive for a local company that sells bottled drinking water.

Every month, we have a set target given to us by head of marketing. For the past six months, none of the 20 employees have met their targets. Most potential clients have an issue with the way our water is packaged. The head of marketing doesn’t want any advice or feedback of that type. What do we do?

Ordinarily, there is tension between the performance expectations a company assigns its sales force and what the sales people themselves consider to be reasonable sales targets.

It would indeed be unusual for sales people to find their sales targets modest or a company to consider its sales targets obviously unachievable.

It may help to ponder on the following questions: for how long has the situation you describe been in existence?

Is the company’s performance trend heading up or down? How wide is the chasm between the sales people’s performance and their sales targets?

Are they closer to the target or nearer the other end of the spectrum?

For all the sales people to have been retained for six months without having met their targets, is it possible the company considers that the minimum performance expectations have already been met?

If not, what consequences have been visited upon the sales force for not achieving the sales targets so far?

If dire consequences are envisaged, how much rope do you surmise is left before the curtains are drawn on the tenure of the sales force?

What could be informing the perspective of your head of marketing? Is this an isolated situation of not taking advice or is it a typical case of being impervious to other people’s views?

Have you considered meeting the head of marketing as a team to raise your concerns about the quality of product packaging and its impact on your ability to sell?

Have you sought audience with the individual in charge of packaging? How easy would it be to meet your CEO to share the concerns?

Supposing the packaging problem is resolved, do you foresee the current sales targets immediately becoming achievable?

You have thought about moving jobs. How compelling is your sales track record to date? When did you last update your CV?

Resign not because of how sorely frustrated you are with status quo, but how well prepared you are for the days that lie ahead.

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