DeWese--No Holding Back On Sales Slackers

Ellen Kay began a series of daily inspirational sales meetings and Saturday training sessions. She installed a daily call reporting system and insisted on debriefing salespeople after every new account call. She openly second-guessed the salespeople over lost jobs.

Golden State's sales declined to $11.8 million in 1998. Two of the top salespeople left the company to join competitors. Three more salespeople left in 1999 and were replaced with rookies Ellen Kay had met at a conference called The Super Spirituality Weekend. Sales in 1999 dropped to $10.1 million and the plant manager quit rather than suffer the overbearing Ellen Kay. Bill suffered a heart attack and required triple by-pass surgery. Joan stayed at his bedside and ignored company operations. Meanwhile, Ellen Kay kept planning, insisting on weekly plans from the salespeople and conducting training sessions. She blamed the plant and inept salespeople for the precipitous decline in sales.