This is the beginning of a series of blogs that will look at the issues and potential solutions that are necessary for sales organizations to optimize the costs and maximize the return on sales compensation administration. Many organizations are either looking to or considering acquiring a software application to automate the calculations and reporting of their incentive payments. The increase in complexity associated with sales compensation in recent years has made this a necessity for companies with more than 25 – 30 salespeople.

Tomorrow, I am in Chicago speaking to the WorldatWork Sales Compensation conference on this topic along with a client of mine, The Sun-Times Media Group (Chicago Sun Times). In the topic line, the “disruptive” nature of automating sales compensation revolves around changing the way in which sales compensation is looked at by organizations and completely revamping how it is done. Some software vendors will tell you that it is the software that makes the difference and that by installing their application, everything will be easily up and running in a few weeks and the future will be rosy. Such is not the case. Automating sales compensation is about changing the administration paradigm! It requires changes in process, behavior, data, approvals, workflow and collaboration.

Anyone who thinks that automating sales compensation is easy has not been involved in a successful implementation. It is about change … and as we all know, change is not easy it is hard, requires clarity in direction, documentation, a willingness to participate (actively) and the support of champions in the organization to ensure compliance and commitment.

Upon my return, I will let you know how the presentation went and whether or not there were any great questions asked by an audience that should have a vested interest in finding out what a disruptive technology can do to improve their sales performance.

Dave