Sales Force Incentives

Before unsheathing your latest sales force incentives, stop and take a few considerations to heart. Number one is that the famed 80-20 rule, which applies to almost every sales force, probably applies to yours as well. This axiom states that about 20 percent of your sales force will net you roughly 80 percent of your sales.

Why is the 80-20 rule applicable when designing incentive campaigns? The answer is that your top sellers will likely continue to be your top sellers no matter what means you use to fire them up. The trick then becomes motivating the rest of your sales force to keep pace. After months or even years of watching the same winners receive their prizes, the second and third tiers of reps may understandably grow demoralized.

Breaking Ranks

As a responsive and hands-on sales manager it's incumbent upon you to do something to rile your underachievers. Perhaps lessening the grand prize in stature and plumping up the second-place prize may get your laggards in gear. Take this a step further and create more parity between all prizes and notice what happens. Your top sellers keep atop the sales board, but suddenly the rest of your force starts to hustle as well.

Another option is to reorganize your job titles using fixed sales marks. Those field reps who have turned in consistent numbers quarter after quarter may now see that a titular promotion is within reach. If he or she has made a comfortable living selling your goods and services, a promotion in standing may be just the thing to get that rep moving again. Monetary rewards may go far, but it's often more symbolic promotions that get through to the status-driven worker.