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Companies frequently change their sales compensation plans, and yet, frontline sales managers are often the last to know. In a newly released WorldatWork survey of compensation practitioners and HR managers, 76 percent of organizations report revising their sales plans every year as a matter of course.
However, the same survey found that only 58 percent of organizations communicate these changes directly to the frontline sales manager.
“Organizations face increasing challenges recruiting and retaining sales talent, and better communication that motivates the entire sales force could be one solution,” said Jim Stoeckmann, a WorldatWork practice leader focused on sales compensation.
“Better training ensures that frontline sales managers are equipped with the information and skills needed to effectively execute the new or revised sales plan.”
According to the WorldatWork survey report, many organizations report doing little to prepare the first-line manager, choosing instead to communicate directly to the sales force (14 percent), taking a decentralized approach (13 percent) or doing nothing (7 percent).
“Given the importance of the role of the first-line manager in the launch of any new sales initiative, the number of organizations taking time to prepare them, and gain their buy-in, is surprisingly low,” said Aaron Bare, CEO of the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) and CEO of CareerTours.
“Sales teams ought to consider partnering with HR to communicate changes in plan design to make sure that such changes are disseminated in a timely and effective manner.”
The findings of the “Sales Compensation Practices 2008” survey report were discussed during the Sales Compensation Forum at the annual WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia.
The survey was conducted by WorldatWork in collaboration with NASP in January 2008.
The survey gathered information about some of the key elements of sales incentive plans, such as plan design, trends in plan changes, plan launch and communication and plan governance.
Key survey findings:
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