Episode #236: The Big Myth of the Sales A Players

Small and mid-sized firms in Tokyo and across Japan face a hard question: how do you raise performance when you can’t afford a roster full of elite “A Players”? The common advice—“just hire top talent”—sounds great in theory, but for most 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and many 外資系企業 (multinational companies) operating with realistic budgets, it’s not that simple.

This page breaks down a practical, numbers-driven approach to developing and sustaining strong sales and leadership capability—without creating fragile dependence on a few expensive stars.

Because A Players are costly, and the math rarely works for smaller firms. If you’re Google-sized, you can buy top talent everywhere. If you’re not, that strategy can drain cash and distort priorities.

Most companies must hire C Players, develop them into B Players, and then decide carefully whether pushing them to A level is truly worth it.

Mini-summary: For growth-stage businesses, “A Players everywhere” is a luxury strategy, not an operating reality.

Often, yes. Investing heavily to elevate B Players to A Players increases the chance competitors will notice—and recruit them away. The old warning still applies:

• “What if I develop them and they leave?”

• “What if I don’t invest and they stay?”

The right answer depends on your cash flow and your risk tolerance. You’re not trying to keep underperformers forever; you’re trying to avoid over-investing in a way that makes your team fragile.

Mini-summary: Development is essential, but turning every B into an A can increase turnover risk and reduce stability.

A firm becomes vulnerable when too much revenue or expertise sits with a tiny number of people—just like relying on a small number of clients. If one or two “stars” dominate output, their exit can hurt disproportionately.

When top performers leave, teams often panic in silence. Without a clear explanation from leadership, rumors grow:

• “Did they leave because the business is failing?”

• “Do they know something we don’t?”

Leaders must own the narrative and reassure the team that departures are individual choices—not company collapse.

Mini-summary: Concentrating performance in a few hands raises operational and cultural risk; communication after exits is critical.

How do you measure whether a salesperson is truly valuable?

Use a multiple-based model. Track each salesperson’s full cost (salary, incentives, support, overhead) versus revenue generated.

You want to know:
Revenue Return Multiple = Individual Revenue ÷ Total Individual Cost

Higher multiples are better—but only to a point. A fantastic multiple with low overall volume can still put the company at risk. The goal is balance:

• volume of income + efficiency of return

Mini-summary: Measure both raw revenue and the multiple against cost; success requires efficiency and volume.

Why do B Players often outperform A Players in sustainable profit?

B Players frequently deliver strong, reliable multiples and steady revenue. They fit the business model and protect margins.

A Players may bring higher raw numbers, but their multiples can be weaker because:

1. they cost more upfront, and

2. they often demand raises based on their big results.

A large pay rise can quickly destroy the profitability of their multiple.

Mini-summary: B Players tend to be the profit engine; A Players can inflate costs and destabilize returns.

Think of A Players as an oasis in the desert—tempting, but sometimes a mirage. A healthier long-term path is the bootstrap approach:

1. build C Players into B Players,

2. deepen B Players steadily,

3. invest—but don’t over-invest—in the leap to A.

This requires tracking multiples carefully “down to the last cent,” because small shifts compound over time.

Mini-summary: Sustainable growth comes from systematically upgrading the middle—not chasing expensive stars.

Where is the line between “investing” and “over-investing”?

There’s no perfect universal rule. But real-world experience helps:

• When you mint a new A Player and they soon leave for more money, you learn the boundary fast.

• When your tracking shows diminishing multiple returns, you’ve crossed it.

Over time, your data becomes an internal algorithm for “how much development is enough.”

Mini-summary: The line emerges from measurement and experience; your multiples tell you when investment stops paying off.

• B Players are your backbone. Love them, develop them, and protect their profitability.

• Track performance multiples to balance efficiency with income volume.

• Avoid fragility by not letting performance concentrate in just a few A Players.

• Own the story when people leave to prevent fear and rumor from spreading.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.