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.
As coach Lombardi said, "Some people try to find things in this game that don't exist but football is only two things - blocking and tackling."
When it comes to your Sales Compensation process, beware of those who try to expand the process beyond the basics because without them, all is lost. Delivering a stable process to your sales team is all about three things; being on time, accurate and clearly understood. Think of timeliness, accuracy and communication as the blocking ansd tackling for your sales compensation game.
When it comes to executing on the big three deliverables of a well run process, there is still a lot of work to be done. here are some resources that are helpful in getting your arms around the challenge and a focus on things you can do right now to get the ball rolling for 2014.
Timeliness;
- New Years Resolution #3; Collapse the Cycle Time of Your Sales Compensation Process
- Sales Incentive Management; how often to pay sales ?
- Cycle time improvement a huge benefit of Sales Commissions Software
Accuracy;
- New Years Resolution #2; Improve Accuracy of Sales Comp Calculations
- The biggest Sales Performance Management payoff you never heard of: Prior Period Adjustments
Clearly Understood;
- New Years Resolution #1; Improve Sales Performance Reporting
- Sales Performance Management; Clear Communication to Sales is Key
- Top 10 Sales Compensation Reporting Must-Haves !!
As you begin to map out special promotions and SPIFF's for 2014, here is a guide that can be VERY helpful in getting sales leadership focused and aligned on the right goals & programs.
