Sales, Heart, and Soul

I recently spoke to a VP Sales of a software start-up with several dozen employees. The VP expressed the personal burden of responsibility that he and his salesteam carried to sustain the livelihoods and essentially “feed the families” of dozens of people at the firm. A heavy burden indeed, particularly for a struggling business.

It’s clear in difficult times that sales revenue attainment impacts more than the top and bottom line. Real hearts and lives are touched, strained and worn as the realities of personal/company achievement and failure play out all around us.

The burden is in fact on executives, sales management as well as salespeople and all employees. Some will go down, some will survive. I commend that Sales VP with a heart and soul who recognizes real lives, fear and suffering in the midst of dark uncertainty. Whether they make it or not, he’s a man of substance and character.

How’s your heart?