My sales director takes clients to stripper clubs. Should I let him?

Dear Aunty B,

With all the fuss about Kevin Rudd visiting a strip joint, I have a confession to make. I have a very difficult client who gives us 60% of revenue. A few weeks ago we signed off on another contract and my sales director took him out for the evening.

My accountant pointed out last week that the expenses were huge and had included a visit to a “gentleman’s bar” in King St (Melbourne) which is a well-known lap dancing venue.

She wanted me to insist he paid that component of the evening himself, but I let it through and didn’t say anything.

My sales director is a family man who is a great salesman, so I don’t want to upset him… but my accountant is cross with me. Who is right?

Regrets,
St Kilda Rd, Melbourne.

Dear Regrets,

You are totally nuts. One client responsible for 60% of revenue? And a difficult client to boot? You know the rules – have lots of clients with no one client responsible for more than 10%-20% of revenue. It is called RISK MANAGEMENT, sensible management, good management…

I also have to question how great your salesman actually is if you only have one main client.

As for strip clubs – call me a wowser, but they are totally out of line. If Family Man and Difficult Client want to kick on, let them do so at their own expense.

And who runs your business? You or the accountant? Tell Accountant to pull her head in. Tell her thanks for the heads-up, but you make final decisions on expenses.

And while you are at it, tell family man it is best if he goes home to the family bosom instead of a stripper’s lap.

And if I were you, I would be taking Very Difficult Client out for dinner myself – given that at present, he holds your company’s future in his lap… so to speak.

What are you waiting for? Email your questions, problems and issues to auntyb@smartcompany.com.au right now!