When calculating sales commissions, you’re going to be paying the best to those that have brought in the most business. That goes without saying.

At the same time, you can promote their success to the rest of the team to encourage the same ethics, skills and processes to your other staff so they can emulate their success.

Of course, one problem is that those not performing, and sometimes those that are, believe in a series of myths that supposedly will make them a success. Here are five of those myths debunked that can help overcome the psychology that is stopping some of your sales team from achieving great sales commission:

1. Great salespeople are born and not made

This is completely wrong. A good salesperson can be trained by someone if they have the desire to succeed. The truth is that sales staff who perform better are likely to be the ones who’ve prepared better for their sales call, got a more well-defined strategy for the lead and have a standardised process for recognising opportunities.

2. You have to be pushy and aggressive to be great at sales

This myth is probably born out of stereotypes on television and films like the Boiler Room. However, the best salespeople aren’t pushy. They might be persistent and they might be determined, but there is a fine line between that and being aggressive.

A good salesperson instead talks to a customer about pain points and discusses how they can help solve it by building trust. You can’t build trust by being aggressive.

3. The best salespeople want constant recognition

A lot of people think that fame and fortune are the two motivations of a good salesperson. While recognition for some salespeople is appreciated, they don’t always seek it. Sometimes, just knowing that they’re getting a good pay-check is enough motivation for them. They would happily do the same job in the corner of the office, even if no-one said well-done to them.

4. The best don’t need training

Everyone needs training, regardless of their skill levels. Feedback and improvement is what has got many of the best salespeople to their current position and it will help them improve their performances for many years to come. So perhaps it’s good to have a good performer train with some of the other sales team to show just how far they’ve come and how much further they can go.

5. Top salespeople won’t help out peers

This is the worst myth about the best sales performers in an organisation. Many believe that they’re so cut-throat that they’ll hurt those seeking help. The truth is the opposite.

The best performers want what is best for the company, so they will seek out opportunities to improve others in the team so the company wins. If the company wins, then they will get better rewards.

Once you’ve captured a high-flying sales team, the next challenge is to hang on to them and keep them motivated to grow your business. One of the ways you can do that is by using a cloud-based sales commission software that is easily accessible and which encourages collaborative working as well as rewarding individual talent. 

Foster team spirit

A salesperson who chases individual success without considering the overall impact of their actions jeopardises far more than a few extra pounds in revenue. When sales teams stop working together, they risk undermining the reputation and results of the whole organisation.

A good sales manager knows that collaborative working is essential for building sales in the long-term. Of course, any employee who thrives from earning commission is going to need personal drive and determination and that can sometimes seem incompatible with sharing support and information. But everyone benefits from transparent digital sales compensation software structured to help team members feel safe enough to input their own sales and successes without worrying that their leads might get stolen out from underneath them.

Reward the individual

Individual team members may be encouraged to be secretive if they know that only they will benefit from sales commission. A creative sales compensation structure will combine a personal commission package with team commission rewards.

This type of package encourages all employees to focus on growing sales in a collaborative way rather than be driven solely by their own earnings agendas.

Keep everyone in the loop

No matter how you choose to compensate your salespeople, you need to ensure that they have quick and easy access to real-time sales data including revenue and commission. Using cloud-based software is the ideal solution.

A sales commission dashboard is available to all employees 24 hours a day via their computers, laptops and mobiles. This type of open system links the shop or office to the road. Not only does it pull the whole team together, but it also means that commission for good performance can be tracked and pulled down quickly.

Take care of team working and you stand to boost the achievements of each individual salesperson. The right software can ensure everyone pulls together.

Sales is a varied beast, and every industry, company and even individual has a perspective on how to do it best, but you need consistency from your team.

Thorough onboarding, regular training and a good operational base are the best way to implement your brand standard, so here are some tips on how you can create that atmosphere for your workplace:

1. Have a clear, consistent sales commission scheme which is implemented across the board

Perhaps your commission scheme has different levels to reflect experience or commitment to the company, but it is vital that this should be open and transparent throughout the team.

Without a standard process or structure, resentment, gossip and vindictive behaviour can thrive as people think they are being shortchanged or undervalued. This toxic environment, in turn, leads to high staff turnover and therefore a big loss in potential sales.

2. Create sales goals which are regularly reviewed

Obviously, sales goals are paramount to any business development team, but there is more to it than that. If people feel that they have moving targets which are personal to them, they feel valued and are more motivated to keep on progressing up the ladder. Having a good sales performance management tool in place will save you a wealth of time when structuring this kind of workplace.

3. Keep training sessions short

When training spans hours or even days, concentration dwindles and the capacity of the brain for retaining information is compromised. Many of the most innovative companies around the world instead run short daily or weekly huddles in which a new subject is explored. This serves not only as personal development for your team but is also a great stimulator first thing in the morning when your team might need the cobwebs brushing away.

4. Use the buddy system

By buddying coworkers, they not only have a person to bounce ideas or problems off, perfect for conserving your energy, but they also form more meaningful connections at work. These friendships will keep your staff more satisfied with their job and therefore less likely to leave. A great way to keep your turnover down and retain solid employees!