You are the vice president of sales for a $30 million manufacturer of home building materials. The company employs 50 salespeople around the country to market the company’s products to hardware stores and major building contractors. The CEO believes the company needs to cut costs and wants to reduce the sales force by 50 percent. You have been asked to come in and explain why that is a bad long-term strategy for the company. Discuss why salespeople are critical to the success of the company.