Decision time – what would YOU do? Your # 3 sales person has given 2 weeks notice and is going to a competitor.

Let’s say you have a total of 10 sales people in the office. She has already made it known to anyone that would listen that she is getting $5,000 more a year in base pay with a similar bonus structure.

Would YOU give in and match the increase? Why or why not?

(This delicate situation happens over and over again and I’ve handled it both ways in the past – curious as to your thoughts)

Richard A. Johnson

at SunTrust Bank

If she’s making a public noise about the money, your decision is made for you. Show her the door and do damage control. If you offer her the money to keep her, everyone is going to know what happened and you’ll have set a dangerous precedent. Wish her well. Throw her a nice going-away party. Keep very positive and supportive. Introduce your customers to the new sales rep/team and make it very clear that she’s moving on to a competitor. (one really important thing to do is make sure that you, or someone you trust, updates her voicemail message for the transition period)

Had she approached you privately and kept quiet during your negotiations, I would have spent more time trying to recover the situation. Most of the advice that you’ve already received fits that scenario. However, once she starts publicizing the situation, there’s not a lot that you can do. One other thing that you might want to consider is sweetening the pot for your other sales staff once she’s gone. It’s almost guaranteed that she’s going to try to poach them from you once she’s settled in the new position.

Good luck!”