In many industries, incentives play a large part inchannel sales performance, but if communication touchpoints and incentives aren’t reaching the individual producersdirectly responsible for sales success, their impact falls short. We see this playout time and again when OEMs looking to increaseunit sales and market share don’t gain the necessary line of sight oraccess down to the individual sales rep level. They simply don’t know whom the top people are influencing the salebelow the dealership or distributor organizational level.
Common sense tells us that channel sales don't naturally occur at the distributor or dealerlevel. They happen one on one, between the sales rep and the individual buyer.So it’s critical that the incentive platformyou use to drive sales also gives youvisibility right down to that individual seller level, enabling you to connect, incent andreward them.
Moreover, this will empoweryou to garner a greater share-of-mind where it counts—with the reps who makethe sale—and tie them more closely to your business and brand. By doingso, you can 1) openly communicatewith the real producers of sales, 2) reinforce behaviors that drive salesvelocity and 3) reward success at theindividual level, where it has the greatestimpact.
Bottom line: it’sa window into theindividual seller level isthe best way to ensure your incentives are reaching the right people at the right time for maximum channelperformance.
Not all sales incentive platforms support this kind ofvisibility and connectivity, so if that’swhat you want, consider your optionscarefully. Look for solutions that provide:
Fast set-up, easyadministration. Cloud-basedSaaS platforms are easy to set up andtake the load off,administrators. They allow your organization to focus on the activities thatdrive sales results, not “administrivia.”
Self-registration forparticipants. The ability to self-register is a plus for sales reps and you, giving youinstant insight into who they are and the best way to connect with them. It also removes your channel partner or direct field staff from the time-consuming enrollmentprocess.
On-demand promotions.Whether market conditions suddenly change, a new product comes online, or inventory needs to be reduced, there’s always a need foron-the-fly promotions. Channel incentive platforms need to be agile enough toget these promotions out fast and in front of the right audience.
Sales claiming. Ease of administration isimportant to everyone as a driver of ongoing appeal and programparticipation. If your sales data does not flow down below yourchannel dealer or distributor level, then make sure the solution provider’ssystem supports a sales claiming processthat can match individual producer sales claims against your aggregated salesdata.
Relief fromcollecting sensitive information. If confidentialinformation—such as date of birth or social security number—is required foryour program or promotions, then look for a solution provider that supportsrobust personal data protection as wellas optional 1099 services.
With these kinds of features in place, business channel developersand managers are free to focus on the activities that drive sales, includingthat all-important connection to the salespersons, producers, and contractorswho close the deal.
Are youlooking for an easy-to-administer channel sales incentive platform thatdelivers visibility at the individual producersales level? Contact a Marketing Innovators solutions expert to learn about our new sales incentiveplatform.
