FROMTHEEDITORSGGETTINGSALESRIGHTISmuchmorecomplexthanitusedtobe.Persuasionisnolongerenough.Youneedcreativepeopleandrelevantdatainthefield,supportedbyaneicientbutflexibleopera-tionbackathomebase.Andifyoumanageasalesforce,youalsomustknowhowtokeepyourtalentengagedandexcited.Intheirarticle“MotivatingSalespeople:WhatReallyWorks,”ThomasSteenburghandMichaelAhearnearguethatmostcompanieshavetheirincentivesallwrong.One-size-fits-allcompensa-tionplansundermineteamperformance,theysay,becausesalespeopleatdistinctpointsontheperformancecurve—stars,coreperformers,andlaggards—varyinhowtheyrespondtodiferentinducements.Theauthorslayoutwhichprogramsworkbestforeachsegmentofyourteamandoferadviceonhowtostructureincentivesaccordingly.Salesrepsalsoneedmoreautonomy.Becausecustomersarearmedwithmoreinformationthaneverbefore,repsneedgreaterlatitudetoexercisejudgment.In“DismantlingtheSalesMachine,”BrentAdamson,MatthewDixon,andNicholasTomanrecommendagainstdemandingthatrepscomplywithsetprotocolsbut,instead,encourag-ingthemtocomeupwithcreativeinsights—andsolutions—forcustomers.Managerswhoprovidethattypeofsupportwillfosteranenvironmentthatappealstosmart,engagedsalespeoplewhocareaboutgeneratingvaluemorethangettingextrinsicrewards.Eventhequestionofwhoactuallymakesthepurchasedecisionhasgrownknottier.In“MajorSales:WhoReallyDoestheBuying?”ThomasV.Bonomaadvisesthatsellersidentifywhoisinthe“buyingcenter”—agroupthatusuallyincludesinitiators,gatekeepers,influencers,deciders,purchasers,andusers.Eachoneofthemmakeschoicesshapedbydiferent—sometimesconflict-ing—forces.Closingthedealmaythereforetakeskillfulinvestigationand,certainly,emotionalintelligence.Butthepayofisdecidedlyworththeinvestment.—TheEditorsMakingSalesMoreProfitable2HarvardBusinessReviewOnPoint|SUMMER2017|HBR.orgTHEFASTESTWAYTOTHEBESTPRICEDon’twaitforquotes,findthelargestchoiceofprivatejetsavailableforcharterwithStratajet.Searchandcomparethebestpricesinstantly.Asfastandeasyasbookingaprivatejetshouldbe.GETTHEAPPANDSEARCHFLIGHTSTOD...
