Distributed sales teams: Why aligning sales commissions is so important

distributed sales teams

Working remotely changes the dynamic of a sales team in so many different ways. Communication can no longer happen in person so tools in your tech stack like Zoom and Slack have become not just convenient but crucial for operations. Data in Salesforce or HubSpot must be accurate and updated in real-time to ensure prospect and customer communication isn’t negatively impacted.

The sales commission and bonus process is not immune to this either and is arguably the single biggest factor for making or breaking a distributed sales team. Between communication and data, there’s a greater chance for human error or results getting lost in translation.

Now more than ever, empowering your team to understand how they are getting paid is crucial for establishing trust between reps and leadership. As a manager, this should be your primary tool for motivation and driving good behavior. This is challenging even for teams working in the same building, so being remote-only amplifies this. So, how do we connect the dots between money in the rep’s pocket and business value so that we can have a connected, motivated, aligned team in this new remote world?

Try QuotaPath for free

Try the most collaborative solution to manage, track and payout variable compensation. Calculate commissions and pay your team accurately, and on time.

Start Trial

Single source of truth for sales commissions

As we’ve all seen over the last few weeks, working remotely adds an extra layer of disconnect when it comes to communication. For something as important as paychecks, you simply can’t afford to have a difference between expectations and reality. Creating a single source of truth for how and why your reps are getting paid is crucial. I’ve talked to hundreds of reps who track their commissions in one spreadsheet while their finance and ops team tracks it in another. When these two numbers don’t line up, it’s demotivating and creates animosity between sales and finance. This is completely avoidable if you’ve established a single source of truth which both sales and finance trusts.

QuotaPath is your source of truth for all parts of the business. We give your reps real-time insights into their earnings while giving finance and operations the administrative control and reporting they need to ensure accurate and effective compensation. We connect seamlessly to Salesforce so there’s no duplication of records and data.

Understand your path to success

Most reps do not understand how they get paid. It’s a simple and sad truth. It’s also a massive opportunity for organizations who can bridge this gap. Empowering reps to understand what they’ve earned and what they could earn in a given period gives a line of sight to their personal success. Self-motivating without the collective energy of a sales team around you is difficult. Being able to visualize the finish line and understand how your daily activity connects to your paycheck is a game-changer.

QuotaPath’s Earnings Dashboard gives your reps a detailed breakdown of how and why they are earning commissions. Reps and managers can easily forecast in real-time to see exactly what deals get them to the finish line for individual quotas or team goals. Jacquie Bigot, Account Executive and QuotaPath power user, uses the product to align personal and company goals.

“QuotaPath has been critical to help figure out how I’m tracking against not just my own personal goals and quota attainment, but also understanding how I’m contributing and bringing success to the organization.” –Jacquie B.

Deliver results and celebrate together

High fives are sadly no longer possible these days, so how do we make sure we’re celebrating success together? Sales commissions are too often ‘reported’ to reps after the period is over. This usually takes the form of a spreadsheet or even worse, a screenshot of a row in a spreadsheet sent from finance or ops. This process completely takes away the ‘winning’ aspect of getting paid your commission, especially in a remote environment. Sales leaders should know exactly when their reps are winning and celebrate together. If it makes sense, get virtual assistants for them to ease their work and accomplish more tasks.

Use the platform to easily set personal or business goals, track them in real-time, and virtually high-five each other when you complete them. In addition to goal setting, here are a few more ceremonies we’ve rolled out to make sure we maintain a celebratory and connected atmosphere:

  • A dedicated #shoutouts channel on Slack: Is one of your colleagues doing an incredible job? Throw it on #shoutouts.
  • End of week check-in highlighting WoWs or ‘Wins of the Week’: Give your managers, leaders, or the whole team a chance to talk about the wins that are happening around them.
  • Byte & Bites: Bring your entire company together (virtually) to share a meal and learn something about a topic they don’t usually get a chance to be a part of.

QuotaPath’s mission is centered around creating a single source of truth, aligning teams, and motivating reps. We can supercharge your sales commission process and ensure that a distributed team does not create a disconnected culture. It’s free and easy to try out for your team.

All Articles

Related Blogs

comp plan committee and collaboration
Leadership
How to Foster Comp Plan Collaboration and Alignment

October marks the beginning of Comptober at QuotaPath—when teams should begin building their compensation plan proposals for the upcoming year.  As we dive into comp planning, one theme stands out...

Data & Analysis to Begin Comp Planning
Leadership
How to Conduct Data & Analysis to Begin Comp Planning

“Comptober” is a term we use to signify the critical month of October when RevOps leaders begin planning and strategizing their sales compensation for the upcoming year. Starting the compensation...

commission payment agreement template
Leadership
Commission Payment Agreement Template

A commission policy creates alignment and transparency throughout the planning and implementation of a sales compensation plan. This agreement helps reps understand how and when they earn commissions, creates buy-in,...

Keep up with our content

Subscribe to our newsletter and get fresh insights monthly