Would a sales representative take less money, a la Cliff Lee, to sign with a contender?

Would a sales representative take less money, a la Cliff Lee, to sign with a contender?  A week or so ago Cliff Lee did the unthinkable when he signed with the Phillies for less money than the Yankees were offering.  It made me wonder if a sales representative would do the same.

What would it take?  Maybe more equipment than the competition would sway them?  Perhaps a “better” location would be the key?   Could private ownership over a big corporate parent or vice-versa make the difference?  Higher commissions, lower prices, experienced staff, liberal vacation time …. What could it be?

Culture!  That’s the difference.  You see culture is the combination of everything that a company brings to the table for the employee.  It’s the location, the environment, the people …. Everything!  A business owner I know prided himself on having a place where people would want to come to work, another placed value on providing a safe workplace while a third said the fact that his company held everyone accountable for their work that he was most proud of.

To create great culture you have to practice what you preach.  If you want people to show up on time then you have to show up on time.  If you want people to care about the customer you have to care about the customer. 

In fact, you have to go beyond practicing and preaching.  You have to show people how to do it; correct them when they don’t do it right and praise them when they do.  You have to remind them everyday why the company exists, the basis on which it was founded, what their role is and what their contribution has meant to the company.

YOU HAVE TO SELL!

Good Selling.