The Right Carrot Is your compensation plan keeping your salespeople motivated?

You need a sales force that's motivated to pad theirpocketbooks by moving your product. Structuring a compensation planis critical to attracting and retaining sales professionals whosesuccess will enhance your bottom line.

Designing an appropriate compensation plan depends on whatyou're selling. "The standard rule is that the morepersuasion needed, the more commission [and] less base will beinvolved," says Brent Longnecker, executive vice president ofResources Connection Inc., a Spring, Texas, firm that specializesin finance, accounting and human resources.

In structuring or restructuring your sales compensation package,consider calling in an expert to help you cover all the bases.According to Longnecker, "The best way would be to partnerwith an expert, let them learn a lot about [your] business andsales process, and have them propose a few different compensationalternatives."