Sales Compensation (Part II)--Bread and Circuses

"From a company perspective, chasing orders is awful, because salespeople don't have direction," one printer points out. "But I wouldn't blame a salesperson for doing it, because it's how he/she is being managed."

Despite expecting his sales staff to deliver a targeted sales volume, Jeffrey Spear holds only himself responsible for profitability. "Margins of profitability are equal part selling price, selling control and efficient management in the plant. I hold my sales force responsible for volume, but profitability is the responsibility of senior management," he concludes.