Most will say, “Aargghh, it’s way too complicated and I don’t have the time for that. All I want to do is sell and make money or I’m sure the commission report is correct and there’s no need to double check.”
Or how about this comment that was once stated to me many years ago: “We don’t make mistakes with commission reports.” WHAT!! I just shrugged my shoulders and kept quite but thought, what do you expect from a pig but a grunt.
Knowing the ins and outs of your comp plan and the manufacturers programs will win you extra business or lose additional business if you are not an expert with those plans.
Knowing when to hold them and when to fold them should be a crucial part of your learning curve as a sales person in the industry. I try to be as up to date as possible with all of the manufacturer’s programs and have learned by stupid mistakes the ins and outs of my comp plan. Stupid can be good because the second time around you will have learned your lesson about being ignorant of the comp plan.
Most manufacturers have special programs for Print4Pay, Real Estate, Health Care, Major, Municipal, or let me put it this way, most vertical markets that still have a paper intensive workflow. Don’t be wishy washy and expect these plans to be laid out to you, some will and some won’t. The some won’t is probably just because everyone is busy; we’re all trying to do more with less and sometimes these plans are forgotten.
“Out of sight and out of mind” is a saying that I use for many of my advertisers, and it is so true. I have reminders pinned in the walls of my cubicle so I don’t forget.
Take some time to think of all the plans that are in your sales arsenal, make your own flyer, pin or tape it to your wall at the office, or in your pitch book, and be prepared to do some business.
Good selling!
