Sales AboutFace assists organizations in the review, design and implementation of sales compensation and incentive plans. Our process delivers maximum employee buy-in through participation and field input to the plan development.

Effective sales compensation plans reinforce the company's sales strategy and focus behaviour on execution. Our opportunity audit identifies "quick wins" and areas of potential improvement in sales performance through sales compensation.

Changes that trigger the need for Sales Compensation Review are:

  • Changing market conditions
  • Increased customer requirements/expectations
  • Change in corporate objectives and sales strategy
  • New product/service introduction
  • Mergers, acquisitions or restructuring
  • Sales employee turnover

Review Process

Change initiatives require adherence to good process. In the case of sales compensation, the process can be almost as important as the change itself. Executives and sales management must be behind the redesign effort and show their full support for the change. This involves active participation in developing the reward strategy, reviewing alternative designs and approving and communicating the final product.

Effective sales employee buy-in occurs when those affected by the change participate in the design and development. If they have helped design the plan, then they own it!

Sales AboutFace process features a phased approach, design expertise and client ownership. Working from a project plan we employ specific work tools to achieve consensus and sales compensation knowledge transfer. The result is a plan document that is easy to understand and administer.

 Questions Critical to Plan Design

  1. Who should be eligible?
  2. What target total compensation is required to be competitive with the market?
  3. How should we establish the mix of base/incentive?
  4. What is the leverage (upside opportunity)?
  5. What performance measures should we use...revenue, profit, customer satisfaction...?
  6. How will we weight the measures?
  7. What formula and qualifiers will we need?
  8. What amounts will we pay as rewards....what about Overachievement?
  9. How frequently should we pay?
  10. Will we get the commitment of the salesforce with this design...this process?

 

Required elements of sales compensation Design

  • Senior management vision and support
  • Sales reward strategy
  • Clear linkage to objectives
  • Employee participation and buy-in
  • Focus on "key" sales results
  • Simple and direct communications
  • Fair and equal treatment, consistent in application
  • Easy to understand and administer

How we work with clients

 

The relationship between client and consultant is a critical element in successful projects where an outside resource is utilized.

Sales AboutFace is significantly different from other consulting firms in the way we work with our clients. We believe that project ownership and decision-making rests with the client. When the roles of the client and consultant complement each other synergy and collaboration result. To ensure that there is a common understanding, we clearly identify the respective roles of the client and the consultant.

Role of the Client
Consultants cannot know the company as well as the client. Clients bring to the relationship a thorough knowledge of their organization, its products and services, business objectives and sales strategy. They contribute an understanding of how decisions are made and by whom. Client perspectives on the needs of the customer, their markets and the competition are critical to shaping the goals and getting the expected results for each project.

Role of the Consultant
Consultants bring to the relationship a body of technical knowledge related to sales and sales management effectiveness. Our experience in project management as well as core competencies in facilitation, analysis, program design, implementation and communication, are capabilities that add value to project results.

We are flexible and recognize the need to complement rather than duplicate internal client resources.

Our approach is to work in tandem with clients to develop a strong collaborative that provides maximum value.

 

Contact Sales AboutFace info@salesaboutface.com to see how this approach can benefit your organization.

Quote Early January my phone rang with yet another organization trying to sell me on training for my sales group. After failing with the standard brush off, I quickly realized that this person had a unique approach and I wanted to know more. In the next week I had signed up my entire Sales team to the Sandler "President's Club® and myself to "Strategic Sales Management". The thing that impressed me the most was not hearing about the basic concepts of the training program but that the Sandler Representative was using this approach to have me "sell" myself! Since the training has taken place, Nemko has enjoyed an increase in acceptance rate from 43% in previous years to near 60% in 2004. This is attributed to how we handle inquiries, cold calls and client relations in general. The "Strategic Sales Management" training has allowed me the confidence to communicate with and motivate my Sales team as well as the tools to keep everyone honest. Quote

Gilles Philion Front Line Manager, Nemko Canada Inc.