Wonder where we are supposed to find it? 🤔
11 replies (most recent on top)
I heard K 12 are losing their Fleet Cars this Month. How much will that save Cengage? In Highered we gave up our cars back in July.
Get ready K12 I'm sure they will make you track your mileage with the Concur App, but make sure you turn it off, when you are doing personal driving after work or on weekends, Once enabled it tracks everything. BiG Brother for Sure. But its a cost savings for this underperforming Executive Team
@kd haha…Transition???Cengage isn't microsoft and failed Microsoft people who couldn't cut it there are not going to make it so!
No one bailed on Microsoft to join this sh*t show if they had a choy!
@k9 bc that’s how it works at Microsoft. Microsoft sells itself and it’s a transaction.
@jp spot on! Ironically SW basically told the sales team that relationships don’t matter, platforms can stand on their own….back in May. I don’t think her message was intended but that was heard loud and clear.
@f2 The $15 million wasn't simply "given" to us. And no, we still don't have real numbers.
For example, I was given a target, just like every other rep. The difference is that I've been here long enough to know what questions to ask.
When I asked for the details behind the target, and more importantly, the breakdown of the existing sales within my territory, nobody could provide the answers. The numbers were rolled up into one massive data dump, and now we're being told the company can't show where those sales are actually coming from.
That's a problem. How can anyone be expected to own a number when they can't see the assumptions behind it?
But the bigger issue is the territory design itself. The territories are so large that I won't even have the opportunity to visit some of my schools this semester. And at the schools I have visited, nearly every customer is brand new to us. We're essentially starting from scratch and trying to build entirely new relationships in September and October.
Anyone who understands educational publishing knows why that's concerning. Relationship building doesn't happen overnight. The sales cycle for next year typically starts taking shape well before the January through April buying season. If you're still introducing yourself and establishing credibility in the fall, you're already behind.
That's why many of us are struggling to understand how these targets were developed. Without visibility into the underlying sales data, and with territories that make meaningful customer engagement difficult, the expectations and the reality simply don't seem aligned.
@f2 they don’t even know. And we are only 6 months into the year could get to 30M quick
Former here, did they finally report financials? $15M loss YTD? That doesn't sound TOO ouchy, though I've lost track of where their revenue stands these days ...
The guy has never done anything except construct endless spreadsheets. He’s one of the life coach brigade and “pretends” more than he does. I remember he made a “big” post about visiting a customer in Florida and you’d think he’d had a life changing insight. One visit was enough though and he declined all other trips he was invited to by managers and reps. Like all of Cengage management , it’s play acting at being high powered and innovative. Plans unveiled like they’re revolutionary, earth shaking innovation.One after another after another. Execute those around you to escape the bullet yourself. Bring in failed executives from big brand companies so you can bask in a Microsoft glow and feel like a mover and shaker.Problem is the numbers in the end are a great leveller. The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes and everyone is finally watching clear eyed. This could apply to NK or MH, or any of the clowns play acting at running things.
@cd he can’t get out of the way because he’s the sole reason Cengage is down so much. What a dolt.
@OP 15M? More like 27M.
The train is barreling down the track, with No brakes and NK can’t get out of the way.
@OP Restrict the Executive team 1st class airline tickets. Sorry NK but we need you to sit in the back