Field Intelligence: Executive Summary

The manager instructed the rep to pay the installer extra, believing it would improve motivation.

How Did a Simple Voucher Cause Such a Problem?

I’ve lived in sales and business development long enough to know one thing: If you bend the rules around money, everything starts to collapse. That was my mindset for most of my career. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. And then came the day that tested it the hardest. I was in the office, just passing time between meetings. My assistant usually handles voucher checks, but that day I randomly pulled a stack to review myself. I still don’t know why I did it. One voucher caught my eye.

What Was the Red Flag on the Voucher?

Selling price: 25,000 MMK Plus a handwritten note: Installation 5,000 MMK (paid to installer) That immediately raised a red flag. Because in our system, the 25,000 MMK already includes everything: ● Product: 20,000 ● Installation: 5,000 It’s printed clearly on the back of every voucher. Installation is complimentary. Customers should never pay extra. We keep one national price so people in any state north, south, delta, dry zonepay the same. So I called in the sales rep and the manager. I told my internal audit team to verify: Did the installer actually receive 10,000 MMK the original 5,000 plus the extra 5,000 written on the voucher? The answer was yes.

Field Data Evidence: Selling price: 25,000 MMK, Product: 20,000 MMK, Installation: 5,000 MMK, Extra Installation Paid: 5,000 MMK.

What Was the Twist in the Situation?

Now here’s the twist. The sales rep had been with us for over 10 years. Loyal. Never a complaint. Never a problem around money. It was his first time selling that particular product. He didn’t know the pricing breakdown clearly. He had asked his manager, “How much do I give the installer?” And the manager told him to pay an extra 5,000 thinking it would keep the installer happy and motivated to work more with us. No bad intention. No cheating. Just a mistake. But the voucher carried his signature. And under the system I built, policy leaves no room for explanation. So I terminated him.

What Was the Hardest Part of the Decision?

It was the hardest termination decision of my entire 20+ years in sales. But I did one thing: To honor his loyalty, I asked his son to come for an interview. We trained him. He passed. He took his father’s place in the same territory. And here’s the part that still stays with me That sales rep stayed loyal to us even after being terminated. He still spoke well of us. He still had good communication with me. He understood the decision, even if it was painful.

How Did This Experience Change My Leadership Style?

A year later, I changed something in myself. I made a commitment: From that day on, I would not only look at what happened, I would look at why it happened. Zero tolerance? Yes but for bad intentions, not honest mistakes. That incident happened ten years ago, and I still carry it with me. Not as regret but as a reminder that leadership is not just about protecting the system. It’s also about understanding the human behind the mistake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was the price of the product without installation? A: The product price was 20,000 MMK.

Q: How long had the sales rep worked for the company? A: The sales rep had been with the company for over 10 years.

Q: What was the manager's intention in paying the installer extra? A: The manager thought it would keep the installer happy and motivated. image

FAQ

Q: What does a Fractional CRO engagement from Sai Han Linn look like for Southeast Asian businesses? A: A Fractional CRO Southeast Asia engagement is a 90-day embedded sprint covering revenue architecture, pipeline qualification, pricing discipline, and CRM deployment. Designed for B2B operators in Myanmar and Southeast Asia who need enterprise-grade RevOps coaching without the cost of a full-time executive.