You’ve investigated new opportunities, interviewed with your competitors, and finally found a new position that seems promising. After all this work, you’ve accepted the offer, negotiated a nice compensation package, and you’re finally ready to turn in your resignation. And your boss asks you to stay.
They might say something like this:
“I can’t believe you’re thinking about leaving. I never knew you were unhappy! Why didn’t you say something? I can and will fix this. You stay put, and I’ll be back to you in a few days about what I can do for you.”
Or this: “I’ve been meaning to tell you about a new position we’re working on. You’re my top choice for it, but I didn’t want to say anything until we get a few internal pieces of the puzzle worked out. I just need you to hold on for another quarter, you’ll see.”
What they’re really thinking is this:
“I can’t lose another person on my team. My boss just gave me a lecture last week about keeping my voluntary turnover low.”
“Maybe I can buy some time and keep him on until I hire another rep so the territory doesn’t stay open too long.”
“I don’t need another opening I can’t fill right now.”
When You Quit, Your Boss Starts Selling
When you quit, you’re firing your boss. You’re essentially saying, “I’m unhappy, and I’ve found something better.” Bosses find this difficult to bear, and they know you, so they know exactly what to say to keep you around, even when it isn’t in your best interest.
The proposal they come back with may include:
- pay raise
- promotion, now or in the immediate future
- new opportunity
- better territory
- special commission plan
- discretionary bonus
- some creative way to make you happy
You may also receive recognition, praise, and attention. VIP visits from high-ranking executives and other flattering ego stroking are par for the course.
And awash in the emotional drain of resigning, guilt for “quitting,” and the self-doubt that creeps in when you’re forging into unknown territory, it’s easy to see why you might be susceptible to staying put.
Top 10 Reasons to Get Back to Cleaning Out Your Desk
1. More is only temporary. They had their chance to give you what you needed. Your current company would have already given you the money or the opportunity if it was in the budget or they valued your contribution that way. You may be given a raise now, only to be fired later.
2. Why quit to get? Ask yourself if you want to work for a company where you have to threaten to quit, and go through an exhaustive interview process with other companies, just to get what you deserve.
3. Leaving so soon? The old recruiting statistic holds up: if you accept the counteroffer, there’s an 80% chance you’ll be looking for another job within six months. Twelve if you suffer well.
4. Quitting takes a series of small steps. If things were so great at your current company, why did you start and finish a job search? Many steps led you to the moment of truth, and there was plenty of time along the way to back out. You made it all the way to the resignation table, so trust your judgment.
Giving notice is a professional courtesy; the decision was final when you accepted the new employer’s offer.
5. Got loyalty? Accepting a counteroffer means you run the risk of being fired once they find your replacement. This might seem like paranoia, but your loyalty will be questioned. And you may not be considered the next time a plum opportunity surfaces, because you were just given a raise.
6. Tarnished relationships. If your coworkers find out you accepted a counteroffer, your relationships could change for the worse. You become the person who got a better deal for quitting, and they won’t see an ultimatum as a justifiable way to get an increase.
7. The ripple effect. Staying affects everyone who interviewed for the job you accepted. Chances are you took the role from an outstanding second choice who was told the position was filled and moved on. If you’d turned down the offer initially, it could have gone to someone else in process.
8. Lost time and reputation. What about the new employer? They have to restart the search from scratch, and the people who championed you through their interview process are left to put the pieces back together. That never looks good for them, or for you, and hiring circles are smaller than they appear.
9. Relief, then regret. Accepting a counteroffer brings a great sense of relief, because the inner turmoil is finally over. Unfortunately, the relief is ephemeral.
The regret quickly ensues when you realize nothing has really changed, and whatever you gained eventually pales in comparison to what you endure on a daily basis.
10. Doubt. Counteroffers cause you to doubt your decision-making skills. That chips away at your self-confidence. It can keep you stuck in a job you’ve outgrown.
The Only Script You Need
When you’re faced with a counteroffer, the easiest way to refuse it is to keep repeating, with conviction: “Thank you, but my decision is final.”
Avoid discussing the details of the new opportunity, keep the conversation positive, and don’t fall into the trap of airing grievances or giving any impression you can be swayed.
Remember to trust your decision-making abilities.
Getting to the point of resignation required a series of choices over time, made by you, with your career interests in mind, not your employer’s. Trust yourself, and stay focused on the opportunity ahead.
And when you’re ready to hand in that notice, here’s how to quit your sales job like a boss. If you’re still deciding whether it’s time to leave your sales job, start with the signs it’s time to leave.
