About two years ago a young man came into your conference room for an interview. He was fresh out of college, smart and quick witted, with fire in his eyes. He didn't have the experience you were looking for but you liked him. He had a trusting face and came with no bad selling habits. You knew he would demand a smaller base salary than a more experienced rep and the potential for a higher return was obvious, so you hired him.

The first year went as expected. The learning curve was steep, he landed a few smaller accounts, and in the fourth quarter he landed a significant one-time sales order. The second year started off with high hopes but by March there was no growth, and you began more closely observing him. You noticed that he seemed distant and the fire was gone, so you talked to him. He acted generally happy and gave the standard responses: “I've got a few things in the works, a couple of big leads. Next month should be better.” It wasn't. You sent a veteran rep on the road with him, started asking him for more frequent updates and call schedules, even helped set up joint calls with new prospects trying to see if there was a specific problem that could be addressed and fixed.

You found that customers liked him and that you liked him, but the sales weren't there. Now it's January and nothing has worked. He isn't cut out for sales. It might seem cruel, but it's time to let him go.

Here's a few things to remember:
1. Gather all the data.
If a sales rep is under performing, you should be able to prove it with numbers. Use the sales numbers of other reps for comparison. Be very clear about why he or she is being fired and prepare itemized all of the steps you've taken to try to help him succeed: trainings, performance reviews, seminars, joint calls etc.

2. You are doing him a favor.
Poor performance usually signals an unhappy sales rep. Rejection is never welcome and the constant reminder of that rejection in reports and monthly printouts is salt in the ego's wound. Neither of you want to admit failure, but as a manager it's your job to do so.

3. It's a business after all.
Sales positions are usually laced with incentives, so he's probably not making all that much money, and neither is your company. Both of you want to be happy. Another job might help him, and more sales will definitely help you. The number one goal is sales growth. Do what you can and then move forward with a more ideal candidate.

Firing a sales rep can be tricky because personality is what defines them, and all of them are likeable in some way (or you wouldn't have hired them to represent your company to the customer). It may seem like betrayal or cruelty, but letting them go will be better for both you and them, so if it's not a good fit make the change and be clear and concise in the execution of that change. Most companies will fire a rep without a notice of the standard two weeks because of fear of information theft-a competitor would love to know your secrets. This varies with each company though, and it's best to have a system that's the same with each case so there will be no ambiguity or hard feelings.

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