I was in middle management (Store Operations) for a family owned company.
For years only outside sales people received bonuses, rewarded with company trips, and other accolades. So I inquired about having the same opportunities, and was told that it wasn’t possible for interior sales personnel to achieve the goals that were set. I persisted and was given the outline that I needed to achieve.
I broke that glass ceiling and continued doing so year after year. But I developed a problem.
One of the outside salesman (who thought he was Gods gift to the company would steal accounts from other sales people.
I would not put up with that crap as half the battle of getting an account was getting your foot in the door so I fought back.
The outside sales man and I would stick it to one another back and forth, then I shoved back hard and the outside salesman went crying to the General Sales Manager (also known as the nephew of the owner).
It’s important to note that the nephew had been General Sales Manager for almost 5 years, and not once had he ever stepped foot in my operation…
So out comes the GM to my store to slap my hands and tell me that I was a bad boy.
Now I’m a big boy and have had my hands slapped before, but the GM chose to do it on my sales floor in-front of my customers and staff rather than go in to my office.
“BIG MISTAKE!” he finished up his little rant with, “And if you don’t like it, maybe you should consider finding something else.”
I looked at him and said, “Thank you. I think that’s some of the best advice i’ve ever gotten.” — Reached into my pocket for my keys hit the release button that separated the store keys from my personal keys, tossed the keys to him and walked out.
