Jim Johnson’s best salesperson just told him she had accepted a job close to her hometown out west. She was going home. She gave two weeks notice, but mentally she had already made her move.

Does this scenario sound familiar? If it hasn’t happened in your business, it will. These days salespeople are very mobile. Their skills are easily transferred from one company to another. When a rep in your office says, “Good-bye,” here are some specific steps to take — steps that can save you time, trouble, and, most important of all, valuable accounts.

First…

…find out what proposals and quotations are outstanding, especially if a decision is pending. Have the rep give you all the files and information on these accounts. A good way to check that you get them all is to compare the files you collect to the latest prospect list from the sales rep. You are collecting monthly (or weekly and even daily) prospect lists, aren’t you?

Second…

…get a complete list of the rep’s active accounts and prospects, and all the files and correspondence in his/her possession. You can check the completeness of this list by comparing it against the sales activity reports you have been collecting each week. You have been collecting weekly sales activity reports, haven’t you? These will come in very handy if the departure is not so friendly.

Third…

…ask the rep to provide you with any other prospecting information he/she has. These can include names, addresses, and phone numbers from mail lists and directories your company has purchased or researched, as well as advertising and trade show leads from the manufacturers you represent.

If the departure is friendly you and the sales rep should meet to review all of these accounts. Be sure you get a complete list of the names and phone numbers of the key contacts at all customer installations as well as prospect accounts. And get a phone number where you can call the rep should you have problems or questions about anything after he leaves. This could come in very handy later on.

You will want to make telephone calls to all customers and active prospects immediately to inform them of the sales rep’s departure. It is very important for your customers to learn as soon as possible that their sales rep is leaving and who will be handling their account. Don’t let them find out by calling in to ask for their sales rep and hearing, “Oh, Pat doesn’t work here any longer.”

When your sales rep is leaving you on friendly terms, it is a good idea to visit the top customers in person to break the news. If a new sales rep has been appointed, let the departing sales rep introduce the new sales rep to your customers. This will minimize the passing, plus show your firm’s professionalism with an orderly transition.

If you don’t have a replacement yet, the sales manager or owner should visit top accounts with the departing rep to explain when a new rep will be in place and what the customer should do in the meantime if problems, questions or the urge to buy something comes up.

If the sales rep is going to work for a competitor, and you either can’t or choose not to talk him out of the decision, send him on his way as soon as you complete steps 1, 2 and 3 above. Don’t let the rep hang around to poison your other people or to steal things like customer lists or price quotations for the rep’s new company. If you suspect he may already have taken these, get them back, and/or call your lawyer. This is your property and represents company secrets!

When your rep quits and won’t say where she is going to work next, you must play it safe and assume she is going to a competitor. Cut the relationship off fast. Get her customer lists, outstanding proposals, leads and prospect files, and collect all company property such as customer correspondence, keys, directories, demo equipment, software, etc. You may even want to ask departing reps to return after work when you can watch them clean out their desks.

Next make some sense out of the files and proposals they have left you. When possible, review these with the departing sales rep and new sales rep. When you can’t do this, review them as soon as possible. Follow up on any proposals that are outstanding and prepare your list of phone calls to top customers and accounts.

If you feel it will be some time before you replace the sales rep, temporarily assign key accounts and prospects to other sales reps, support reps, or yourself temporarily. Pay them a full commission if they close the sale. Allow them a reasonable time to complete the cycle. Give all incoming inquiries and leads to someone to follow up. Leads, directories and other prospecting information should be saved for the new territory sales rep.

By following these procedures, you limit the disruption to your customers, prospects and sales cycles. You also limit the possibility of saying good-bye to a sale or to a customer, while you get the new sales rep off to a faster and smoother start. By being prepared for the inevitable, you buy insurance against the unthinkable.