Summary: Should salespeople’s pay take an incentive pay “hit” because of economic dislocation by COVID-19?
Short Answer. Sales leaders should determine how to “protect” the earnings of sales personnel resulting from any short fall in sales revenue due to COVID-19. In other words, yes, sales leadership should protect sales compensation target earnings.
The immediate logic is to assume that sales compensation costs are variable. With this assumption, sales leaders would not adjust quotas or provide earnings’ guarantees. However, sales compensation costs are not variable to the company. Yes, they are variable to the person, but not to the company. For producers (real estate, traders, brokers, manufacturer reps, independent financial advisors), payouts are fully variable. However, sales compensation costs for sales representatives, who have target pay and a sales quota, are not variable to the company. Why?
Sales representatives are “purchased labor.” Sales leaders assign a target pay amount split into two components: base pay and target incentive. Sales representatives perform against a goal to achieve target earnings. Some will exceed the goal and earn above-target earnings, some will not. In balance, the average payouts should equal the summation of target earnings. The summation of target earnings is the “budget” for the sales representative population. Meanwhile, producers get a percent of the business—some/all will earn plenty; some/all might earn very little. The cost to the company is fully variable.
The objective is to keep sales personnel “whole” or “partially whole” so they do not suffer from a financial short fall caused by factors outside of their control. How?
Sales management has many tools available to protect target earnings. However, select a method carefully. Unintended consequences can arise if management selects the wrong method.
Avoid techniques that encourage sellers to take a “sellers’ holiday.” Immediately offering a guarantee or quota adjustment to assuage sellers’ fears might cause some sellers to throttle sales efforts…even delay pending deals.
It’s best to acknowledge the market conditions. “We understand the sales challenges you are facing. We want to ensure earnings opportunities during this uncertain economic period. Keep up your selling efforts; find ways to meet customer needs. Secure orders. Over the next several selling periods, we will review our selling results to determine if it warrants any pay or quota modifications.”
Consider one or two of these suggestions to protect sellers’ earnings:
Hoping COVID-19 has only a temporary impact on your company’s fortunes. You will need a robust and positive sales team when economic opportunities flourish again. Protect your sellers’ target incentive.
David
David Cichelli
Sales Compensation Educator, Author, Speaker
Connect with me on LinkedIn!
©2020 The Alexander Group – All Rights Reserved – Issue No. 200320-2
READ ALL ISSUES:
Solving Today’s Market Disruptors
Global Sales Comp Practices
Sentinel Charts to Monitor Programs
Sales Comp: Linked Formula Design
Sales Quotas: Friend or Foe?
Sales Comp: Breaking the Rules
New Fiscal Year Sales Comp Plan
Sales Force Trends
Test Your Knowledge
You Can’t Hide From It
Getting the Mix and Leverage Right
2021 Sales Comp Hot Topic Findings
Should Reps Be Paid on Profits?
Sales Comp Starts With Job Design
Quota Busters!
Sales Compensation Victims
Global Sales Compensation
Are Salespeople Coin-Operated?
2021 Sales Comp Trends Findings
Is Sales Comp Just for Sellers?
Sales Comp: Rewarding Sales Profits
Pay Equity and Sales Compensation
2021 Sales Compensation Planning
Avoiding Common Misunderstandings
2020 Sales Comp Hot Topic Findings
What COVID-19 Found in the Shallows
Best Revenue Recovery Solutions
Save the Sales Force
Sales Seek to Protect Incentive Pay
Should You Protect Sellers’ Pay?
Use the Right Measures!
Are Comp Plans Industry Specific?
Careful About That Threshold
Commit to the Money, Not Mechanics
Should You Change Your Comp Plan?
Are sales comp costs variable?