In many industries, incentives play a large part in channel sales performance, but if communication touchpoints and incentives aren’t reaching the individual producers directly responsible for sales success, their impact falls short. We see this play out time and again when OEMs looking to increase unit sales and market share don’t gain the necessary line of sight or access down to the individual sales rep level. They simply don’t know whom the top people are influencing the sale below the dealership or distributor organizational level.
Common sense tells us that channel sales don't naturally occur at the distributor or dealer level. They happen one on one, between the sales rep and the individual buyer. So it’s critical that the incentive platform you use to drive sales also gives you visibility right down to that individual seller level, enabling you to connect, incent and reward them.
Moreover, this will empower you to garner a greater share-of-mind where it counts—with the reps who make the sale—and tie them more closely to your business and brand. By doing so, you can 1) openly communicate with the real producers of sales, 2) reinforce behaviors that drive sales velocity and 3) reward success at the individual level, where it has the greatest impact.
Bottom line: it’sa window into the individual seller level is the best way to ensure your incentives are reaching the right people at the right time for maximum channel performance.
Not all sales incentive platforms support this kind of visibility and connectivity, so if that’s what you want, consider your options carefully. Look for solutions that provide:
Fast set-up, easy administration. Cloud-based SaaS platforms are easy to set up and take the load off, administrators. They allow your organization to focus on the activities that drive sales results, not “administrivia.”
Self-registration for participants. The ability to self-register is a plus for sales reps and you, giving you instant 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 enrollment process.
On-demand promotions. Whether market conditions suddenly change, a new product comes online, or inventory needs to be reduced, there’s always a need for on-the-fly promotions. Channel incentive platforms need to be agile enough to get these promotions out fast and in front of the right audience.
Sales claiming. Ease of administration is important to everyone as a driver of ongoing appeal and program participation. If your sales data does not flow down below your channel dealer or distributor level, then make sure the solution provider’s system supports a sales claiming process that can match individual producer sales claims against your aggregated sales data.
Relief from collecting sensitive information. If confidential information—such as date of birth or social security number—is required for your program or promotions, then look for a solution provider that supports robust personal data protection as well as optional 1099 services.
With these kinds of features in place, business channel developers and managers are free to focus on the activities that drive sales, including that all-important connection to the salespersons, producers, and contractors who close the deal.
Are you looking for an easy-to-administer channel sales incentive platform that delivers visibility at the individual producer sales level? Contact a Marketing Innovators solutions expert to learn about our new sales incentive platform.
