Concord and Associates (11/12)

1. There is little doubt that there are negative trends in regard to Jose’s annual performance.
Analyze the data to uncover the specific behaviors that contributed to his level of
performance.
Jose’s negative trends in annual performance were due to a variety of factors:
 He worked only 210 days in the year, the lowest of any of the salespeople
 He had the least amount of sales calls per day (3)
 He had the lowest number of total # of sales made at 68.
 Jose’s incurred expenses were the highest among the team of salespeople at $30,500.
 He traveled 45.6 miles a call- the second highest only to Robert.
 10.5% of his orders were Rush Orders, the highest percentage out of the sales team
 He had 16 complains, the most out of the sales team

2. Are any other salespersons that work for Emily Murray having potential problems in any
performance areas? If so, what are they?
Robert (New Mexico Territory) traveled 47.8 miles per sales call- a higher than any other
member of the sales team. However, this may be due to the fact that New Mexico’s towns and
cities are isolated and far war from each other. Also, Marties (Simi Valley district) made 108
calls, well above the sales team’s average of 83.8. However, all of Emil salespeople (besides
Jose and Susan) surpassed their sales quotas.
3. Based upon the information presented in the case, what strategy or approach does Jose
appear to be taking when meeting his customers?
One strategy Jose appears to be taking in the case is promising customers an unrealistic delivery
date. This is one of the reasons why he has 16 complains this year. Also, he approached a
customer without knowing about a major competitor, and was eventually outbid by them. Thus,
he does not have a clear strategy/approach to dealing with his competitors while approaching
customers.
4. Compute several ratios discussed in the evaluation chapter to help you compare and
contrast the six salespersons managed by Emily Murray. Are these ratios helpful in your
evaluation? How so?

 Bob (San Diego) Quota: 2200:2315

 Susan (LA) Quota: 2800:2795
 Omar (Anaheim): 3100:3500
 Jose (Phoenix/Tucson): 1950:1600
 Robert (New Mexico): 2100:2110
 Marites (Simi Valley): 2950:2965
The ratios are helpful in a side-by-side performance because they allow you to compare two
variables and spot correlations in the data.
 5. What reasons might Jose offer to rebut a negative annual performance appraisal? How
might Emily Murray respond to his rebuttal?
Jose might mention that he exceeded his quota on Product A, and that he had to travel the second
highest miles per sales call due to the geographic size of his territory. Emily would respond that
these are just excuses and that he clearly did not work as hard as the rest of the team. There are
really no strong rebuttals or excuses Jose can make due to his underachieving this year. He
should listen to Emily and try to turn around his district next year through being more proactive,
showing up to work more, and making more calls.
6. Write a formal narrative to Jose to explain your evaluation of his performance.
Remember the importance of being factual and objective.
“Jose, you have not met your sales quota this year in the Phoenix/Tucson district. In fact, you
were short by 18%, which is $300,000. After reviewing my database, I noticed that you worked
the fewest days, made the least amount of sales calls per day, incurred the highest amount of
expenses, and had by far the largest number of complaints out of all of our salespeople. I am
willing to hear your side of the story. Can you explain yourself?