I spoke with a gentleman recently who was buying a business and wanted to develop a sales force compensation strategy that would give him a competitive advantage.
He wanted to lure top sales representatives from his competitors, motivate them powerfully, and grow his business rapidly to the point where it would dominate the market.
Here's the approach I recommended he take:
1. Analyze your competitors' plans
First, you need to know what compensation plans your competitors offer. What salaries, base rates, draws, commissions, incentives, quotas, perquisites and benefit packages do they provide?
2. Ask sales reps what they want
Far too many firms skip this step, either because they don't care what the sales representatives want or because they think they already know. Don't make assumptions – ask! Your sales associates will tell you what they like about your compensation plans (and your competitions' plans), what they don't like, what motivates them, and how they would prefer to be paid.
3. Find out what you can afford
Many companies skip this step too. But you can't be aggressive about compensation without knowing how much your business can afford to pay your sales force. Analyze your expenses and revenue to find the maximum that you can afford to pay.
4. Blend what the sales reps want with what the company needs
When you know what your sales force wants and you know what you can pay and you know what else is available in your market, you are in a good position to create very desirable plans.
For example, top producers might be frustrated with plans that put a ceiling on their income. You can create a compensation plan with a lower base and a higher commission that rewards them for accepting more risk by giving them the opportunity to make more money.
Sales associates who have high fixed expenses (or trouble managing their money) might be willing to accept a lower total compensation package in exchange for the security of a higher base.
People who have health insurance through a spouse's plan may resent having to pay for coverage through your insurance plan. You can structure plans so people who don't want benefits don't have to pay for them.
5. Offer a choice
The key to success is realizing that the same compensation plan isn't going to work for everyone. You'll get the best results if you create several plans, each meeting the needs of a different group, and then let your sales associates choose which they prefer.
When you follow this five-step process, you can design a compensation strategy that supports your business plan, positions your company successfully against competitors, and allows you to recruit and retain the sales force you need.