There is a dangerous disease in business called “The Sales-Led Cult.” The symptom is obvious:
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The Top Sales Guy is treated like a god. He parks his Porsche in the front.
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The Top Engineer/Operations Guy is treated like a utility. He works in the basement.
The logic seems sound: “Sales brings the money.” But this creates a Structural Ponzi Scheme.
The Promise Gap
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Sales = Writing a check. (Easy).
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Delivery = Cashing the check. (Hard).
In a Sales-Led culture, you are incentivized to write checks that the organization cannot cash. The Sales team promises features that don’t exist (“It’s on the roadmap!”). The Delivery team burns out trying to build the impossible. Eventually, the reputation collapses. The “check” bounces.
The Protocol: Inverting the Hierarchy
To build a generational company (not a pump-and-dump), you must invert the status.
1. The “Commission on Retention” Rule
Never pay 100% commission on the signature.
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The Amateur: Pays the salesperson when the client signs. (Encourages lying).
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The Master: Pays 50% on signature, and 50% when the client renews in Year 2. Suddenly, the Sales Guy cares about product quality. Suddenly, he stops selling to bad fits.
2. The “Eat Your Own Dog Food” Audit
The CEO must not ask Sales, “How are the numbers?” The CEO must ask Support, “Why are they angry?”
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Every Friday, the CEO should read the top 5 complaint tickets. That is the only reality that matters.
3. Product is the Only Marketing
If you have to “scream” to sell your product (Cold calls, aggressive ads), your product is weak. Great products are bought, not sold. Shift the budget from the “Screaming Department” (Marketing) to the “Building Department” (R&D).
#DhandheKaFunda: A sale is not the end of the transaction. It is the beginning of the obligation. Don’t write checks your product can’t cash.