The sales environment has always been competitive but now you can get ahead of the game by switching to the cloud. If you haven’t thought about a cloud-based compensation management solution yet, maybe you should. Here are three simple reasons why :

1. Quick, easy and cost-effective

The only things you need to switch to cloud-based sales commission software is an internet connection and a computer, laptop or mobile hardware on which to access it.

Unlike traditional office IT, you don’t even need your own server, which helps you save on costly resources and storage space. Installations are on-boarded remotely, and data is stored on the cloud, providing a secure back-up of your organisation’s information in case of an in-house system crash.

That makes switching to the cloud very low risk on all fronts. The software does the work and saves you money, while you and your team focus on building sales and revenue.

2. Accessible from anywhere

As soon as sales commission data is hosted in the cloud, it becomes accessible day and night from anywhere in the world with a Wi-Fi connection.

That means your in-house team can view live sales data as travelling representatives access the sales commission dashboard and update their successes on the road. Team managers can check the performance of individual reps in real time in order to make project decisions. Great performance can be reliably rewarded, while under-achievement can be tackled quickly to ensure better results next time. 

3. Great for team-working

Cloud-based sales systems are especially useful for start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses. They can be scaled up and down to meet changing needs and are flexible enough to pull in team members from all over the county, country or even globe.

Cloud-based software integrates seamlessly into existing sales projects and brings your whole sales team together under one ‘umbrella’. Everyone can track sales commission opportunities and achievements online in order to optimise results. Reports and commission payments can be generated quickly and easily, ensuring that timely reward builds sales motivation.

So why not close the deal, get ahead in the cloud, reward your sales team and grow your profits today?

A sales decline can be worrying for any business. The key is to get to the bottom of why you’ve had a drop in sales.

Once you’ve done this, you can put a plan in place to get your business back on track. So, with that being said, let’s take a look at some of the common reasons for a decline in sales :

Lack of motivation

Are your salespeople in a bit of a slump? A lack of motivation is something we all experience from time-to-time. However, it results in reduced productivity, and this causes sales to decline. There are a number of ways to get your employees back on track, from team bonding days to running sales competitions.

Ignoring your competition

Perhaps your competitors have just come out with a new and innovative marketing campaign combined with a top-of-the-line product that is unmatched in the industry?

If that’s the case, it’s of no surprise that your sales have declined. Your customers have moved to the competition. Competing businesses need to be on your radar all of the time, enabling you to react quickly and effectively. 

Old-school selling techniques

If your team is going to continue to reach sales targets, they need to move forward and stay up-to-date with the latest techniques. If your employees are still using old-school selling techniques (yes, we’re talking about door-to-door sales and cold calling!), it’s time fora change.

Poor sales and marketing alignment

Finally, another common reason for a decline in sales is when the people on your marketing team aren’t collaborating effectively with those in your sales team. If there have been recent changes in your marketing strategy or personnel, it is worth looking into this further. After all, your sales team depends on your marketing team to give them qualified leads. 

As you can see, there are a number of different reasons why you may have experienced a sales decline. One effective method for enhancing sales performance management to ensure you keep on track is by using Commissionly. This is the first cloud-based sales commission and sales compensation management web app that has been fully designed for SMEs.

Contact us today for more information.

This concept can sometimes be neglected when the management focus is on the overall picture. But, with modern sales performance management apps providing tracking insights and commission reports, a clear focus on individual performance is also valuable.

Calling out individual performance within the team

Professional sports team players are prone to say: ‘We win as a team, we lose as a team’. A cynic might say that the quote surfaces more often after the latter! The best coaches know that each player’s performance adds to, or detracts from, the overall team capabilities. 

Our Sales Commission Software app is a valuable tracking tool when assessing individual sales territory performance. Gaining such insights is particularly valuable in two situations:

# The team as a whole is successful, but one or more individuals within it are not

# Individuals put in a good performance, but the team as a whole does not attain its sales target

In the first scenario, under-performing individuals can escape censure. The leader is simply happy with the overall success and doesn’t want to ‘rock the boat’. In the second situation, a leader might give the whole team a hard time, and fail to positively recognise those who bucked the team trend and performed well. 

Sending the wrong signals to the team

Either of the above actions can cause on-going problems. The successful performers feel they don’t receive enough credit or attention when the overall picture is less positive. They could become unsettled and start to wonder if there are other employers who might appear to value them more.

While poorer performers begin to realise that it’s okay to carry on as they are; the more effective team members might wonder if they should accept that a less strenuous performance seems to be accepted.

Delivering specific and consistent performance assessment

A team works well together when each individual knows that their performance will be fairly assessed. A key to this is to use specific data to clearly demonstrate their main strengths or to highlight and help, through a manager’s own insights or training, with any weaknesses or difficulties. 

A truly valuable management tool

Our cloud-based Commission only sales commission software app is a highly valuable tool in providing leaders and managers with the information they need in setting and managing sales targets, ensuring performance-driven results, and delivering the necessary level of feedback to individuals.

Contact us now to learn how it can help your business.

When it comes to the time to create sales goals, you will want to make sure you’re giving your sales team something inspiring.

A challenge offers them something to strive for and can improve results, but when something is too hard or seems impossible to achieve, it can have the opposite impact and can lessen results compared to what they could have been should you have aimed slightly lower.

The question is, how can you tell if a goal is realistic? Here are some of the ways you can determine whether your sales goals are correctly set :

1. Every salesperson misses the sales goals

One of the first things you need to look at is the statistics across the sales team. If you have 10% or 20% of your sales team missing their monthly or annual target, then those particular employees need help. However, if the majority of your team are missing targets, then there is something wrong with the goals that are being set for them.

This is where sales goals software can help. It can track records of staff and display who is meeting targets and who is not. If you’re noticing that more than a third of your staff aren’t meeting targets, you might need to reconsider reestablishing your sales goals.

2. Time of the year

Good sales performance software can also help you determine past performance and trends, which can help you make more realistic sales goals. Therefore, targets can be set based not just on the performance of the employee, but also on the expected market for the time of the year.

For instance, you might make great sales in July, but in August, that may not be the case. August could be a historically low period for you, and only by checking with your sales performance management software can you see that this is a trend during that time of year. By incorporating trends into the creation of your targets, you can be more realistic in setting goals.

3. Consider lead times

At the same time as considering the time of year, you also need to consider lead times for sales. Processes can be quite long, and if a sales team are running low on leads, they need time to build them back up. If there is no-one in the sales pipeline, then you aren’t going to get any sales.

This can be a particular problem if there is poor management by salespeople in the whole process.

Perhaps they focus on the close rather than the rest of the sales process. Therefore, ask your sales team how many leads they have in the pipeline and at what stage they are at. Thenyou can create sales goals based on current information. You can always tell salespeople they need to improve on their lead development and set those as targets as well, to build up sales over the longer period.

Using these three tips, you can create more realistic sales goals. If you create better sales goals, you will motivate your sales team and see better sales performance.

There are times when a few minor adjustments to sales compensation management are all that’s needed to add insight and incentivise your team.

Occasionally, in-depth analysis and major change are needed to breathe new life into your sales performance goals. Whether the adjustments you need to make are large or small, decisions around business software are critical.

Get it right and you stand to revolutionise your business and your sales. Sit back and do nothing and you could be missing out on a whole range of powerful, automated benefits.

1. In-depth understanding

Unlike traditional spreadsheets which are susceptible to human error, automated software tracks and analyses raw sales data in a totally reliable and comprehensive way.

However complex your operations, once the facts have been input, executives can tap in for an in-depth understanding of how their teams are achieving day-to-day, produce reports and commission payouts. Employees can rely on their sales data to accurately reflect their successes. When you stay informed, great things can happen. 

2. Motivation

Nothing is more useful to sales team leaders than having accurate information about individual staff performance in relation to commission tracking.

They can see at a glance how the work of each individual is impacting on department performance. That means they can dedicate their resources to identifying and supporting reps that are falling behind.

It is easy to look for patterns of achievement and add extra motivation when it’s needed to reach a particular sales goal. For instance, if one rep is great at closing sales for a particular service or product, a manager can tap into their skills in order to train others and build success across the whole team. 

3. The here and now

Unless you have money to burn and an army of super-accurate data inputters, the smart money is on web-based sales commission software. It means that your performance indicators, sales records and analyses are always up-to-date, and you can log into your data from anywhere. You know exactly where you stand, you can assess what the future holds, and you can plan ahead for the benefit of your business.

Sales commission software isn’t just for the bigguns. Small and medium-sized businesses are now able to invest in specialised automated dashboards that strip away the guesswork. If you are looking for increased productivity, escalating sales and a motivated team, check it out.

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Goal by PlusLexia.com licensed under Creative Commons 4.0

Creating sales goals can be difficult. Ensuring your targets are realistic enough that they are achievable, while also being high enough to boost efficiency, is a tricky balance to find. 

One of the best ways to encourage employees is to ensure that any and all sales targets are relatable. If employees feel invested in their personal targets, they are far more likely to reach them. Here are a few tips on setting relatable sales goals, which are useful for all sectors and teams of any size.

1. Different people should have different targets

Setting suitable targets for each individual is an important aspect. You can base these on years of experience, previous form and other circumstances. Of course, an experienced salesperson is likely to be able to sell more than a new employee so their targets should reflect this. Personalised targets also allow for greater self-reflection if they fail to meet them. This allows them to see where they can improve in the future. 

2. Give your employees context

Targets are always more relatable if your employees know on what basis they are set. Whether targets are set in line with projected company growth or last year’s figures plus 3%, explain to your staff that they aren’t arbitrary. It also shows how their efforts contribute to the wider company goals too

3. Alter targets upon results

Target setting should be dynamic. If an employee consistently achieves their target, then it’s worth considering setting them a higher target to keep them motivated. If an employee falls behind, then discuss reducing their target; it may make it more realistic and help them stay engaged. It’s important to note targets should still be a slight stretch for employees so they don’t become complacent. 

At Commissionly, we pride ourselves on being the first cloud-based sales commission and sales compensation management web app. We are 100% focused on SMEs. For more information about how we can help your business, contact us today [https://www.commissionly.io/contact-us/].