Lead to uncontrollable spending
Hurt motivation of salespeople
Be used to control production financing
Stimulate bonus/quota attainment
Hurt motivation of salespeople
What is required for sales contests to be successful?
Successful sales contests require clearly defined, specific objectives, an exciting theme,
reasonable probability of rewards for all salespeople, attractive rewards, promotion and
follow-through.
What five questions does any effective sales combination compensation plan need to
address?
1. What is the appropriate size of the incentive relative to base salary? 2. Should a ceiling
be imposed on incentive earnings? 3. When should the salesperson be credited with a sale?
4. Should team incentives be used and if so, how should they be allocated? 5. How often
should the salesperson receive incentive payments?
Compare the objectives of different components of a sales compensation plan.
There are five components to most sales compensation plans, sales contests, incentive
payments, commissions, salary and benefits. Sales contests stimulate additional effort
toward a targeted short-term objective. Incentive payments provide additional rewards to
top performers, direct effort toward strategic objectives and encourage sales success.
Commissions generate a high sales effort and reward success. Salary rewards experience
and competence, motivates nonselling activities and adjusts for differences in territory
potential. Benefits address security needs and can be used to match competitive offers.
What three basic questions determine the design and effective implementation of a
successful compensation program?
The three basic questions that need to be addressed are: 1) Which compensation method is
most appropriate for motivating specific kinds of selling activities in specific selling
situations? 2) How much of a salesperson’s total compensation should be earned through
incentive programs? 3) What is the appropriate mix of financial and nonfinancial incentives
for motivating the sales force?
What are the advantages of a direct reimbursement expense account plan?
A direct reimbursement expense account plan gives the sales manager some control over
total magnitude of sales expenses and the kinds of activities encouraged.
What considerations should be incorporated in any sales recognition program?