Wendy Peterson Case Study

Wendy Peterson Case –

To: Henry Larsen

From: Wendy Peterson

Date -

Subject: Urgent - Fred Wu’s demands

Situational Analysis –

In 2010, I, Wendy Peterson, acting in the capacity of Vice-President of Sales in AccountBack’s Plano, Texas, Office, recruited Fred (Xing) Wu as a sales representative keeping in mind the booming Chinese entrepreneurial businesses flourishing through the surrounding areas at that point in time.

Fred, 39, was confident, business savvy and had the requisite fluency in Mandarin necessary for executing his duties in the role. Despite Wu never bringing along a few clients with him as he joined the firm, I nevertheless adapted the target timetable to ensure he received the maximum possible time to acclimatize himself with the software he would sell. Fred already had a positive impression on members within the firm, with his curiosity and attention to detail. He also went as far as hosting brown paper-bag lunches to demonstrate a new Sales Management Tool newly adopted by AccountBack.

However, Wu’s performance methods leave much to be desired. He doesn’t comply with company policy of completing Cold Calling and other such methods within office premises and instead focuses only on face-to-face meetings with clients, though with minimal progress. Daily updates on his meetings and the progress of the client meetings weren’t shared by him either, with him opting to summarize a few points after I had called him up to check up on progress.

Wu also maintained a significant chasm between his colleagues and himself, and displayed a singular mentality when he recently snubbed attending a company sponsored event, despite our office’s constant reminders for him to do so. He claimed he was in a meeting at that point in time.

He  recently signed his first account, a $400,000 one year contract with a big Chinese player in the area, but I have also been enlightened of the fact that he had sold add-ons to the firm, despite it not being mentioned in the initial clauses of the firm’s contract with AccountBack. Wu also personalized his contacts with the irm, to the extent of printing his business card in Madarin for the client, while he refused to schedule a complete meeting with the firm’s officials at AccountBack’s Office.  

I also gather that Wu focuses too much on this one client, as the Sales service team has complained to me of his constant interventions in their handling of Wu’s client by Wu himself. Wu assures me he is trying his best to bring on-board three more clients but I have my doubts.

Recently, at a term-review meeting hosted by me, Wu asked for a personal secretary, the kind that is only afforded to the senior most clients at our firm. Whilst I politely declined to give in to his request initially, Wu got back to me stating he’d had an offer from another firm, but would consider staying at AccountBack, only and only if his request for a Secretary was granted,.  

Criteria of evaluation:

1. Workplace morale

2. Department performance

3. Loss of future / existing clients that Wu is dealing with

4. Cost consideration

5. Feasibility in short and long run

6 . Preservation of company policies

Options Available

1) Let Fred Wu leave the company.

2) Accept Fred Wu's Demands and comply with him.

3) Find a middle solution wherein the demands of both are met

(Accept Fred’s demand and in return make him comply with the company norms and talk to him regarding changing his behaviour and ask him to also increase sales target)

Evaluation of Options:

1. Let Fred Wu leave the company: Fred Wu has been an asset to the company in terms of bringing business and new client acquisition. He has displayed excellent client handling skills and has been able to bring on board some of the largest client. However, on the flip side, Fred’s attitude towards the job has been laid back, which in turn takes toll on the department’s overall performance.

Parting ways with Wu may have long term implications and the costs incurred by the company can be huge. It may be possible after joining the other company Wu may try to take away the existing client base of Accountbase.

Hence parting ways with Wu might not be in the best of interest of the company.

1. Accept Fred Wu's  Demands and comply with him: Accepting Wu’s demands and complying with him would be giving up to the indiscipline which he has been following. He has not been adhering to the basic guidelines set for each and every employee such as updating the sales tool and absence at the weekly pipeline meeting.

Accepting Wu’s demand might be helpful in the short term in keeping him boasted about his performance but in the long run and in the best interests of the organisation it would be best to comply with the rules of the company.