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Reassessing a Financial Service Firm's Sales Compensation Plan

Situation

A financial service firm’s sales compensation plan was designed several years prior with some minor adjustments along the way. As best as could be determined, the plan had met the original objectives. However, both the company and the sales force had grown, and opportunities were limited by trying to conform to the old plan.

Process

DGM  was called in to reassess the effectiveness of the plan. We started by interviewing sales staff and managers to obtain a candid picture of the plan design and effectiveness. DGM then analyzed business growth, roles in the sales process, and overall roles.

Solution 

The roles within the firm had not changed, just the degree of application to the various customer categories. DGM re-examined how the transition from the current number of customers to a larger customer base would work. We focused on validating the current and expected future roles, given growth plans.

Outcome

The newly clarified roles relieved tension between the sales force and management and increased communication across the organization. Our work enabled the sales managers to communicate more clearly and explicitly in certain situations. The net result was better sense of teamwork and growth much sooner than expected.   

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