9 Sales Rewards Trends for 2017

The end of a promotion, quarter or year has salespeople everywhere bracing for the inevitable dash to the finish line. Sales leaders prepare pep talks, goals are reset and meaningful metrics are tracked, stacked and attacked like there’s no tomorrow.

Before you race toward what’s ahead, take a deep breath and finalize
your plan. Use these nine trends to help you reward reps at all levels and
in turn, make your entire sales organization more effective than ever.

#1: The more the merrier
Sales organizations that regularly reward over 50% of their sales team (beyond salary and commission) show higher gains in revenue and retention than those who do not.

What you can do
It’s tempting, and sometimes easier, to only focus on the top performers in your organization. However, why would you ignore the potential overall sales lift you could get from everyone else? Rewards don’t have to be huge – they can be as simple as recognition for initial contributions or teamwork.

#2: Mix it up

We used to think just the mention of a big award would motivate everyone but that’s not the case. Communications, technology and progress reporting are also keys to engagement and program success.

What you can do
Too many sales leaders put programs together, send outan email and expect everyone to focus on that message for the next 90 days. Connecting with your team takes an
integrated approach that combines technology, a strong communications plan and frequent reminders of where they stand in relation to goal achievement.

#3: Unleash technology
Sales leaders have a love-hate relationship with technology. It offers so many long-term benefits but tracking and analytics can get in the way of short-term results.

What you can do
Sales reps who get out of number-crunching mode and set powerful, visual, short-term goals can greatly outperform those who don’t. “Paralysis by analysis” is the last thing you want to happen as you head into year-end.