If the company asked you which role in the sales organisation Cisco could reduce headcount by 50%, what role would it be and why?
22 replies (most recent on top)
Most PSS - most are overpaid for what they do. It's sort of needed due to some many products, but too many of them just bully the junior AMs, bom stuff.
Most overlay, like 80% of Spagnolas group - so many of them just fly in to "close" a big deal that the local team busted thier asses for. A few under recognised players there.
Lots of BDMs floating around adding questionable value. Almost all g12, though I think they are on CORP, so same $ as an on target g10 AM.
@6gme... I agree completely! These are the activities a lot of the ELT and Directors do.
@6aad while you're at it, let's get rid of all those lazy reactive SEs who just moan and do f'all all day, and replace the with TSN.
@6aad oooooooooohhhhhh hot a nerve have we.
Based on the vitriolic, arrogant gibberish I read on the UK orientated comments on this site I would get rid of the entire stuck up, shiny suited, "I know more than anyone" sales team and replace them with a decent online purchasing portal. Most of them seem to not want to work at Cisco anyway, so get shot of the lot.
Traits that needs to be weed out. Poisoning Cisco's culture.
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Managers with no reports.
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Lots of fat in the areas where folks claiming success where there is none, especially taking credit for others' work.
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Self promotion or politicizing especially to management.
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Deadwood that not being impactful to their area of focus, but rides the train and just attend training after training or conferences after conferences.
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Managers or Directors that has the title but provides no values.
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New hires of millennials riding the gravy train. Too many of them. Provide minimal values to the compnay, do not understand their work and provide sub-par service to customers.
Cisco really needs to trim the fat. Too much fog created by these staff, middle and upper management for executives to see. Only if they were in the trenches, they will realize these BS information that they are getting. At least 20% trim easy of the workforce of these deadwoods and save the good folks that is truly helping the company. This has to be surgical. Workforce is the highest cost for Cisco and the trim has not been surgical. Unless this happens and our finance focused and driving objective will drive for constant cuts.
@Me4d32Y-6wbr , +1
I would LR the entire ELT and anyone at the VP level or higher. LRs are the byproduct of incompetent leadership.
Close Architectures and move resources to front line. Only logical way forward.
Be quite old man!
Anyone over 50 with 10 or more years of service, please. I'm tired of having all my tools being turned into something that looks like facebook, twitter, etc. to make the Millennials think that they work for a "hip" company. Or learning about the latest "cool" thing an ELT member did. How about raising the damn stock price up to triple digits again? Now, THAT would be "cool".
Why do you blame PSS when they've got nothing to sell?
Make PSS's accountable for fixed accounts, none of this team goal BS that takes away any incentive to work. I went on a Sales Champ trip one year and it was full with PSS's. I asked how come so many were there and it was because they were all on a team goal.... Joke! Same for SE's. If you're not willing to be paid against your own performance, then you shouldn't be in any sales org, full stop!
I really don't this it is the problem with PSS's or architects, it's the way the organization is measuring them is what drives their behavior.
Kill off architectures. Old world model with archaic leaders.
@1yxz aren't we all Cisco insiders? Would be a pretty pointless forum otherwise.
Easy PSS's. I honestly do not see any point in PSS's. They have no real expertise in their area and always rely on others to do the pitch for them. They don't initiate conversations but instead get bought in when the AM has already done this. They are in reality overpaid diary organisers. A few PSS's I've worked with have admitted it is the easiest job they have ever had. One boasted to me once about how much comms he got, over £40k in one month, for stuff he knew nothing about. The mangers are to blame for poor recruitment and management of their people.
Got to be pas or Sam's in gasp. Each of them not competent enough such that they need to bring people in to help them like se or case. Wtf!
Cut any director and PE with zero reporting.
If I was given a choice, then I would simply get rid of the inefficient middle management(senior managers to be precise) and unwanted directors who bring in zero value to Cisco and employee satisfaction...coz most of the time..they are either busy thinking of a new buzz word or saving their own a*s at the cost of targeting their direct reportees or vendors!!!
I'd reduce the PSS team down. They simply shadow AMs and most of them have no value aside from bringing an SE with them. A 'sales specialist' who can't even do an EBC pitch or follow up leads belongs behind a desk in a call center.
That said, the quality of SEs has also reduced massively, mostly 2nd rate talent with attitude problems. Anyone who dares shine goes off to better competition whilst their replacements contribute to the rot. When AMs routinely ask NOT to have certain individuals in their meetings you're in trouble.
What'll probably happen if any reduction happened again though is they'll remove the people they don't like, expect a few more people they don't like to leave anyway, save a few million and call it a success when they hire back a load of grade 7s to replace them.
This question stinks like a Cisco-insider TROLL ...