Xiamen, trading company with 40 employees

 

SYMPTOMS

  • Almost no sales despite 8 years of business in China,
  • Running out of money trying to generate business.

ROOT CAUSE

  • Interviews revealed that the sales team had other interests, and used the brands to open doors for their own business, run through guanxi.
  • Sales manager, a highly trusted employee, turns out to be controlling the parallel business.
  • G.M., participating in starting the company, takes no action on the situation.

ACTION

  • Sales team was removed (not replaced), and the business and organisation was consolidated.

RESULT

  • Immediately improvement of sales (with no sales team) as client requests now came through.
  • Consolidating the value, owner avoided having to invest further, and the company became profitable within a short time.
  • Owners decided in disappointment to sell the company after one year, and succeed after a thorough clean-up process.