What if the Executive Suite Has Call Reluctance?
In some companies, sales call reluctance does not stop at the sales department. Trained eyes can see it throughout the organization. When senior management questions the role and legitimacy of selling, the entire company feels it:
Policies become inconsistent.
Organizational focus drifts.
Peripheral issues overshadow new business generation.
When Leadership Sends Mixed Signals
Digital Equipment Company, once a high-profile player in the computer industry, may have suffered from Role Rejection Call Reluctance at the executive level. The following quote from Verne E. Henderson’s What’s Ethical in Business (McGraw Hill, 1992, pg. 95) is revealing:
"IBM pays its sales force a commission. Digital Equipment Company does not. Digital CEO Kenneth Olson believes commissions are unethical because the welfare of the client is more likely to be sacrificed to the monetary greed of the salesperson."
This position is sales tolerant, not pro‑selling. Digital’s corporate sales philosophy leaned heavily on consultative selling, where clear product advocacy was replaced with vague “customer-centered” conversations. While listening to the customer is critical, hesitating to advocate for your solution weakens the sales effort.
The Cost of Executive Call Reluctance
When executives undervalue selling, their attitudes ripple downward:
Compensation plans discourage initiative.
Cultural cues downplay the importance of new business.
Sales teams lose confidence and clarity.
In 1977, Kenneth Olson famously said:
"There is no reason for anyone to have a computer in their home."
History proved otherwise. Digital Equipment Company no longer exists. It was acquired by a competitor that embraced sales and innovation.
Lessons For Leadership
When call reluctance takes root in the executive suite:
Company culture weakens.
Sales efforts lose direction.
Long-term competitiveness suffers.
Sales leadership is not just a front-line issue. It is a boardroom imperative.
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