Think you have all the answers? Prove it. Sales & Marketing Management magazine regularly poses a hypothetical management question to readers in our Closer section. Tell us what advice you'd give to solve this difficult—albeit fictitious—dilemma. 
All responses must include a name, title, company, and location. The deadline is August 15, 2006. (Responses may be edited for length or clarity.) The winning response, as well as other contenders, will appear in our October issue. Good luck!
The scenario: Phil Blackwell was stumped. As president of Expire Inc., one of his key strengths was that he usually saw crises coming a mile away--until today.
His top sales manager, Craig Hazard, just informed him that Expire's best customer, Axis Corporation, had recently made him an offer to sell for them. Hazard has not yet accepted the position, but he admitted to Blackwell that he is quite tempted. Axis has offered him a 15 percent increase in base pay, an extra week of vacation, and a 20 percent bonus at the end of the year based on his total compensation. And the fit would be a good one, because Axis has been Hazard's account for five years, so he knows their business pretty well. To top it all off, he has been with Expire for almost eight years, meaning a job switch isn't exactly unwelcome, especially since there aren't many opportunities for growth at Expire lately.
Blackwell asked Hazard to give him some time to mull over the situation, and to come by to talk more later that week, and Hazard agreed.
As soon as Hazard left the office, Blackwell was at a loss about what to do. He wished Hazard well, but as always, was thinking 10 steps ahead: Would Hazard's other accounts look for new firms because their key contact at Expire left? Blackwell knew that Hazard's key strength lay in his exceptional customer relationship abilities.
On the flip side, Blackwell wondered if he should counter the offer. But if he does, he risks upsetting--and possibly losing--his best customer, Axis. He was so confused that he couldn't think clearly.
Question: What should Blackwell do? Bid his top sales manager a fond farewell, and possibly the manager's other accounts in the process? Make a counteroffer, and risk upsetting the company's big customer? Or is there another solution? (Click here to submit your solution.)
Great analogy!
Posted by: Corris | July 17, 2006 at 09:52 AM
I'd call the company (and the specific person) making the offer. It would be friendly call to talk about Craig and his future. You might inform this person of your intentions , or your uncertainty.
When you are a parent, you are only going to be happy when your kid leaves the house marrying the right person for the right reasons. You should have the same feelings about your staff.
And that friendly chat would be a way indicate your expectation that you won't lose their business whatever the outcome.
Posted by: David J. | July 14, 2006 at 01:57 PM