When a "Friend" Isn't a Friend: A Sergei Story
When Sergei Polevikov was headed to Federal Prison - while all of his other "friends" abandoned him - I continued to not only work with him, but helped this guy in any way I could. He trained me to do his job which was business development mostly and I even provided him with information that could help him and his family. At one point early on, he asked me if we were friends and not just business colleagues. I knew he needed someone outside his family to talk to and it is good to have a friend like him - business friend, math and AI guy who could help - interesting fellow. He treated me always really well. So...why not?
When he "went away" to Otisville, I made sure he knew what was going on in the business. I wrote him cards and letters to make sure he was apprised of all the meetings and happenings. I liked doing it as it was like writing a pen pal. I wrote him about the meetings, company strategy, and threw in some personal stuff - about my retail job, about driving on the highway and my windshield wipers broke, sent him some funny jokes that only he would understand cause they were math jokes...things like that. I did some research he asked me for. I also sent him books for various occasions like "Bosses Day" and Christmas so he would not fall behind with respect to the technology. He and I emailed almost everyday and he even called me on occasion to find out what was going on and say "HI" in person.
I left his company when I realized there was no real hope of success, particularly while he was not there to work with. My own reputation was getting killed working with his business partners and it just wasn't feasible to continue any longer.
When he received early release, about a month after I walked away, I expected him to call to debrief. No call came. In fact, I only knew he was out of prison because I saw him run to LinkedIN and post. His first post was to his real friend and company partner, I person I disliked more than....whatever most people hate....and did not trust. The person did not support me at all while I was there. I promised Sergei if I could not get his company where it needed to be, I would help him get a job. So, after not hearing from him for some time, I reached out and asked if I could help him with the job search - since his situation was - in his words "DIRE" and he was going to run out of money by the next Spring. He has a wife (who he did not mention was divorcing him) and two kids, one a kid at home. I know what that is like - the anxiety when your sole breadwinner father is unemployed and the unemployment is running out....
I set up a couple of interviews for him including one with a client I was working with. Then I called someone who he knew who was rude as anything - horrible woman. I think I told him about it and he proceeded to reprimand me pretty harshly for talking to her.
That is when a 2 hour conversation happened, late on a Sunday night in October 2023. The details aren't important, but I got the impression that he wasn't too keen on getting any type of job - he was awfully picky for a guy on house arrest still. He seemed to be doing OK. I did get a rather weak apology for not contacting me after his return - but by then all the leads and things I had done, withered away.
We proceeded to "INMAIL" via LinkedIN for some time after that. I sent him an Amazon gift card for some books - an inside joke and a gift card to Stop-N-Shop (there was one nearby) so he and his family could enjoy a nice Christmas dinner without worrying about spending money. His response to the gift cards were "What is this for??" - I don't recall my answer, but thought it quite rude. How about saying "Thank you for the Christmas gift for me and my family - friend Rachel"? Nope.
In the New Year, I asked him to join me and help me with my dream - launching the Sales Intelligence practice. His answer: "I must politely decline" - or "NO". Not - I can't work with you right now or maybe I can help you in a different capacity - like reviewing the research for financial content, teaching me financial analysis (or refreshing my knowledge), or I know someone who can help you....it was a "NO" outright. This piece of shit, "friend", totally devalued me and swatted me away like a pesty fly - which is probably how he considered me all along. This 'person' told me he cared about me - not once, but twice! He cared about me so that I would not reveal the truth about this completely selfish, self centered, likely covert narcissist (as most White Collar criminals are - narcissists and antisocial behavior).
After I ripped his research, which was lacking in critical facts. He then proceeded to Block me. A good thing as a lot of what he wrote was so inaccurate or lacking, it was painful to read. Plus, he is going around claiming to be a "start-up expert", "AI expert", and "healthcare expert" which was painful to see - I would say he is an "AI expert" and that is about that. I actually wrote a vision document for his company and generated real opportunities....something he did not do while I worked with him.
It is hard to believe that there are people like this in the world. You want to believe that there is good in everyone. He is a prime example of why people who go to prison are so mistrusted and treated poorly. I know not everyone who has gone to prison is like him, many learn from their mistakes, make amends, and go to therapy to become better people.
Lesson learned.
And Sales Means What? Today
I never fail to be astonished by some of the hires that start-ups and entrepreneurial firms make and am shocked that they actually succeed. More and more, in examining and researching companies, I see a lot of people with the title VP of Business Development or Sales who are nothing of the sort. Loads of "content pushers" out there, highly educated and/or experienced people with not a prospecting stint to their name, and "sales" people who have no real sales experience.
I can somewhat understand experienced or highly educated people selling certain solutions, particularly if it IS a more consultative sale. But I wonder really how someone without inherent sales ability can actually be successful selling? And, what I refer to is more the extreme.
Traditional methods of sales and marketing even are definitely going by the wayside or - evolving. Prospecting and cold calls in terms of pure telemarketing don't work, but making phone calls using a higher level intelligence and solution type positioning DOES work. Press releases and other PR tactice don't work, but "managed content" through social media and other channels DOES. And so on.
Regardless, I still think sales and marketing - as a discipline - is still a discipline and is NOT something that just ANYONE can do - or do well for that matter. And multiple channels, new and old school, are still viable for developing business and growing markets.
Unfortunately also, everyone seems to be of the mindset of "NOW" - using the fastest means for achieving revenue (i.e. partner, channels, etc) without spending time really getting to KNOW the customer, market, and finding what really works for scaleable traction. Get rich quick, sell out fast, pad the pockets - but not sell, market, build, and sustain a solution.