The debate about whether Sales Ops should be on a sales comp plan can be quite lively. On one hand, sales operations can mean different things to different organizations and be the root of some deeply rooted opinions. Some Sales Ops roles may greatly influence sales results and outputs (i.e. setting quota’s or deal level opportunity identification) while others may have more of a focus on activities such as training or sales compensation administration. In short, it can get a bit confusing about what is the best way to approach this question. Simplifying this complex issue and adding some context and definition to the issue is the first step in making the right decision.
Sales Performance Management Best Practices Blog
Jerry Hegarty
Recent Posts
Should your sales operations team be on a sales compensation plan?
Topics: Sales Comp Plan Fundamentals, EVP/Sales Leader, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, Human Resources, Sales Operations
Sales Compensation & recent Harvard Business Review conclusions
An interesting article was published recently by Adamson, Dickson & Tomas of CEB in the Harvard Business Review 'Why Individuals No Longer Rule on Sales Teams' which certainly got my attention.
Topics: Sales Comp Plan Fundamentals, EVP/Sales Leader, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, Sales Performance Metrics & KPI's, Human Resources
Territory Management - an important link in the Sales Performance Management chain
Sales Performance Management is a term that has evolved over the past few years to describe the process of measuring and rewarding sales performance. In the past, similar industry terminology such as Sales Incentive Compensation Management (ICM), Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM), and many other acronyms were popularized by consultants and practitioners to describe the same fundamental process of measuring and rewarding sales achievement. Practitioners using the term Sales Performance Management typically refer to three keystone elements to the process;
Topics: Sales Comp Plan Fundamentals, EVP/Sales Leader, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Professional, Territory Management
Ensure a successful roll out of your 2014 sales compensation plans
Topics: EVP/Sales Leader, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, CEO, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Professional
Keep it Simple; Sales Compensation Administration must have's
Simplicity is a phrase that comes up often when discussing sales compensation. Phrases like "Plans need to be simple so they can be understood clearly", "keep the measures to less than three or four so it does not get too complicated" etc. are common for a reason. It is hard to focus on and do many things well. This philosophy transcends just talk of plan design and should impact your view your whole sales comp process. Execution of the entire process has to be as important as the elegance of a well designed sales compensation plan. To execute, it helps to narrow your focus to just a few items and do them well.
Topics: EVP/Sales Leader, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, CEO, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Professional
Communication tips for global Sales Performance Management teams
Improved Sales Performance Reporting (New Years Resolution #1) is a vital element of your Sales Performance communication strategy, but it is just one element of a broader effort. When you are dealing with a sales force that is spread out geographically, the quality of forethought that you put into your communication strategy can be the difference between success and failure.
Topics: Sales Comp Plan Fundamentals, EVP/Sales Leader, Sales Performance Reporting, Communication/Reporting, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, CEO, Human Resources, Sales Operations
New Years Resolution #3; Collapse the Cycle Time of Your Sales Compensation Process
Topics: EVP/Sales Leader, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, CEO, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Professional, ROI
New Years Resolution #2; Improve Accuracy of Sales Comp Calculations
With New years Resolution #1 aimed at improving the clarity with which you report and communicate sales performance to your sales and executive teams, it makes sense to be sure that the results and data which we are communicating are as accurate as possible.
Topics: Sales Comp Plan Fundamentals, EVP/Sales Leader, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, CEO, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Professional, Accuracy
New Years Resolution #1; Improve Sales Performance Reporting
It's that time of the year again and I have no doubt the list of things you would like to improve and accomplish in the new year is long. As a manager, one of the improvements that can have a massive payback on your companies health is to improve the way you report performance to your sales team. Feedback from surveys on Sales Performance Management by WorldatWork & OpenSymetry tells us that for at least 75% of us, there is a tremendous opportunity to improve reporting Sales Performance to your organization. Here are some quick 'take aways' from the survey.
Topics: Sales Comp Plan Fundamentals, EVP/Sales Leader, Sales Performance Reporting, Communication/Reporting, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, Human Resources, Sales Operations
Are manual adjustments undermining your sales compensation process?
One of the worst kept ‘dirty little secrets’ in the Sales Performance administration world is the difficulty in managing the Sales Compensation process in a timely, accurate and yet efficient manner without being derailed by some of the myriad challenges that abound. One of the biggest challenges that rear’s its ugly head is the need to wade through the morass of a large number of adjustments every payroll period while simultaneously trying to maintain error free levels of quality and hit payroll 100% of the time. Lets face it, adjustments take many forms and never seem to occur at a convenient time.
Topics: EVP/Sales Leader, CTO, CFO/Finance Leader, Sales Compensation Professional, CEO, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Professional, Data Quality