CEO yesterday: I just need someone to pick up the phone and start calling these free users to make some sales.

Me: Do you have phone numbers?

CEO: No, but a salesperson could start emailing the people we have, and we'll start getting phone numbers from users.

Me: Do you have a sales process mapped out?

CEO: No, that's why we need someone to start calling and create one as they do.

Me: Why not just build a clear path to upgrade into the product and market it better?

CEO: We need sales now.

Me: Why do you need sales right now?

CEO: We're almost out of money.

Me: How are you going to pay a salesperson?

CEO: We'll do commission only.

Me: *speechless*

If I had $1 for every time I heard some version of:

"We'll just get a commission only representative to start calling our customers and fix our broken product, marketing, and processes..."

I'd have, like, $1,000.

CEOs and execs:

If you aren't willing to diagnose the real problem, it's unlikely you are going to actually fix it.

If you aren't willing to invest in your people, you probably aren't going to get and keep people that make a difference.

And if you can't give people a roadmap to success, don't be surprised when they don't find it.