Key Elements of an Effective Sales Incentive

The purpose of any sales incentive, or what I like to call a "pay for performance" plan is to generate an increase in sales while also increasing profit and revenue for the company. There are many different ways you can try to motivate your sales staff to improve results, but there are a few key elements that should be a part of any incentive plan you put together.

One common mistake of sales incentive plans is making the goals too general. An example of a general goal would be, "if sales are up 5% this month you will earn $500." While this sounds simple and clear cut, in reality it is actually very vague, in that it does not set the parameters on how are we going to obtain this 5% increase. By creating specific goals, preferable on an individual basis, you then define what actions are needed to obtain your desired end result. An example of this may be, "you will receive $25 for every new account that buys product ABC this month." This is still simple and clear cut, but is also very specific and easy to track.

The second element of an effective incentive is setting a reasonable time frame. If you make it too short, there will not be enough time to achieve any substantial results. If it goes on to long, you run the risk of losing people's interest. From past experience, the shortest time frame should be a month, and the longest should be a quarter(three months). Every sales person is different and will tend to obtain results at their own pace. Citing the tortoise and the hair theory, your incentive has to be long enough to generate positive results from everyone on your team. My personal preference is a quarterly incentive that includes monthly rewards.

The third element is to make sure the reward equals the task. Too little an amount will fail to motivate your staff, while too much will end up costing you more than it is worth. Think of any incentive as a mini "profit sharing plan." Simply determine what amount of any increased profit you can afford to give back, and that becomes the budget for your incentive. This will provide a payout cap that ensures your employees receive a fair reward for their efforts, and the company still obtains additional revenue as a result.

There will always be a certain amount of trial and error in setting up an effective incentive, but by incorporating these elements you have a much better chance at creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.