This is a bit of a longer write up to give a full picture, and any/all advice is appreciated.
I work in sales. Last year I got a new regional director. Good dude. Ride alongs last year were all positive. Nothing but praise. Took a $700,000 territory of business and in 2 years it’s worth $4 million.
This year , about a month and a half ago we did another ride along. He requested to see certain customers and certain types. Not a problem. One of which is my best customer.
We went to see a variety of folks and the trip was a disaster on many levels. He was stressing to me the urgency of sales being down company wide. In the December sales meeting I won an award for highest profit margins for the company , and we as a company grew 25% year over year when competitors struggled to even do a few %. Yet now after 3 months they are laying off 10% of essential staff IMO. Folks in our showroom , the warehouse , and service desk. He told me on our ride together he hates having to fire people not related to sales because of sales people having bad sales…. Like woah chief I’m not firing them. We are making hundreds of millions with 25% growth. A recession is going on. I’m not to blame. I’m busting my ass day in day out, away from my family 2 weeks out of the month out of state driving in hazardous road conditions just to see clients and hit quotas to provide food on the table, and not have a target on my head.
Why a target ? He was in my car talking on the phone with someone about two other people having to be on performance improvement plans. Not something you’d want to have me hear unless you’re using it as a warning.
I should mention this year I’ve only lagged behind in February by $50,000. This is with accounts who used to do a ton of business completely pulling out because our company refused to help them on their claim . Out of my hands as I desperately tried to be customer service filled to keep them happy . Goodbye $200,000 account.
On this trip he yelled at me because he said we shouldn’t have samples for products we carry that aren’t the ones the factory makes. Some we bring in from distributors. However, at all our meetings he wasn’t pitching our products, he was showing the distributor stuff to get business…. And I assured him that samples are being delivered in person unless I’m out of state or can’t make it to these remote places in time due to scheduling. He didn’t believe it and mimicked me in an annoying pitch and raised his voice. I defended myself and raised my voice as well. I’m fine with criticism if I screw up but I refuse to be accused of things I didn’t do.
He made us late for a few meetings, we netted zero sales, and customers later asked me not to bring him along again because he was “car salesman” selling.
After the trip he’s been monitoring all my follow up looking for slip ups. I followed up so much with one person it turned into harassment IMO and now won’t talk to me. He also threatened to take my biggest account because I am not getting more of a certain kind of sale from him. Which is all price driven and if my company can’t provide the low ball number I can’t get that business. So I’m boned …
The company now with firing people is asking me to work in our showroom and service desk . Including weekend days. Things I’m not trained for and I don’t want to do due to the severe anxiety it gives me. Panic attack inducing stuff.
I talked to HR which I had to follow up with 4 times until she would talk to me. Her response for working jobs that aren’t sales is to get training for it. As for the regional guy issues when I asked can he please not ride along with me again or be forced to take leadership classes she said the three of us should talk so the next trip is better. I asked can my local manager go with me instead and she report to him how it went. Nope.
I interviewed for a different company for the same position I have with a smaller geography and is family owned Friday. If I land the job it won’t be finalized to start until likely end of May.
I told HR let me talk to my regional guy alone first on Monday, because I know if I ambush him with her my bullseye on my back is written in blood.
What do I do? If I don’t get this new gig I’m so boned. The stress and depression I’ve come under now is hard to manage without my wife and kids to distract me albeit momentarily.