Revealing the Truth - Why Companies Struggle to Control Sales Cheating

Sales Chat Show

In this provocative episode of the Sales Chat Show, Simon Hazeldine, Graham Jones, and Anthony Steers dive into the murky waters of unethical sales behaviours and the systems that enable them. Sparked by a revealing Harvard Business Review article, the hosts explore how poorly designed sales targets and performance metrics can drive manipulation, fraud, and even criminal activity—often with management's full awareness. From inflated call stats to forced customer reviews, and from fake deals to internal collusion, this discussion exposes the grey area between "playing the game" and unethical conduct. Most importantly, the team offers practical insights for building smarter, balanced, and customer-centric sales measurement systems. A must-listen for sales leaders and managers serious about ethical performance, team autonomy, and creating a sales culture that customers (and regulators) can trust.