Although there are other essential aspects of a sales motivation scheme, presenting a motivation scheme is also a vital element which should be given a lot of attention. This element comprises of ideas, design, and evaluation of a motivation system. Problem arises when a motivation scheme is not well communicated to the sales force.
A sales incentives scheme includes not only the plan and design of the current system but also communicating elements required to pass ideas to the sales force. All the part of a motivation scheme works together, which makes the objective of the project to be fully realized.
Elements of Communication
For a motivation system to be fully understood by the sales force, there are needs for some communication elements. Let’s consider the following areas.
- Who will the communicator of the incentive scheme be
- What will be the method of communicating the new changes
- Who are the sales force for the motivation scheme
- What are the reasons for the communication
- What are the systems to be disclosed
The first thing to consider is who will be the communicator. The communicator can either be the CEO or any member of the scheme team but must be a reliable and eloquent communicator.
The next that is also important is the method of communication. It is essential because it reflects how the sales force understood the scheme.
The third question considers the people that the motivation system presentation is intended. This consideration is paramount because of a complex salesforce with different management levels and sales roles. A complex salesforce requires different messages for each part of the group.
The fourth question takes into consideration the objectives of the motivation scheme. The goal helps the scheme team to make the decision on the details and the focus that should be given to an element of the system.
The last question takes into consideration the message and system to be communicated. This message is the most vital element which helps the sales force to know the content of the presentation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
The sensitivity of the salespeople
Communication is vital in a motivation scheme because of the sensitivity of most salespeople about their financial status. Each salesperson hopes to increase her finances. The increment can be either through a fixed salary, a bonus or commission at the end of the section.
As a result of fear of a decrease in profit, salespeople are sensitive to any transformation of the incentives scheme. Therefore, there is always an improvement in salesforce people interest whenever there is a presentation on a motivation system.
Getting the right information during a motivation system presentation is vital as a wrong message can result in a high turnover of salespeople.
With excellent communication, an idea or system which looks negative can be presented positively. Besides, excellent communication reflects the importance of a sales force in a motivation scheme.
The Means
The means of communication deals with how the change or the new motivations scheme message is passed to the sales force. This situation comes after the incentive scheme has been prepared for presentation by the motivation team. It is vital to present the information in this scheme clear and direct.
A decision should be made on whether the information will be sent through mails or presented directly. This decision is affected by the salespeople’s personality, the system of the company, and the message to be passed.
This system can first be kicked off by a generic email from the CEO and then backed up by a communication of the new system to the salespeople by the sales managers.
The Communicator
As said earlier, the communicator of a motivation system information can be anybody in the team. It can either be the CEO, sales managers, or any team’s member to present the changes and the why behind each change in the incentive scheme.
Often, this part is divided as the CEOs are usually in charge of communicating the changes and the sales managers provide additional information on the message being passed.
The Message
The message in a motivation system is an essential part of the scheme presentation. It must contain the elements indispensable to both the sales force and the management. Let’s consider some additional key points.
- The message in the presentation should be made simple and easy to understand. It should contain details on big ideas rather than the technicalities, that is, the strategy of the firm and the elements of the system.
- The technical part should be presented in bold and legible form for better understanding.
- The presentation should be done at the exact time. No reschedule!
To compliment the additional key points, let’s look at the element of the presentation.
- The first element of the presentation is the preamble that gives details on the reason for the transformation in the incentives scheme. In it, the change should explain even if there is no earlier scheme.
- The next element is the technical aspect of the system
- The last part contains the FAQ with additional explanations on the crucial areas of the system
The Reason
The reason for the changes, why it is a company’s priority, and the goals of the changes are to be put into consideration. This will help the salespeople to understand more about the motivation system.
The Salespeople
The salespeople represent an important factor when an incentive system is being presented because they are the subjects. Although it is not necessary for the salespeople to get the whole of the massage, each message must reach them all. For instance, the reason for the transformation might only be meant for the sales manager. On the other hand, the changes, and what these mean for their commission or bonus expectations are intended for the salespeople.
Besides, the communication of this system is influenced by most of the sales force, the salespersons’ seniority, the type of the solution, and service sold. For example, not all the reasons for changes should be explained in the case of a call center.