In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, eCommerce has become a vital channel for businesses to serve their customers more efficiently. Yet, despite the undeniable benefits of eCommerce, many organizations struggle to get their sales teams fully on board. A key reason? The misalignment between sales incentives and ecommerce goals.
The inconsistent message
Imagine this scenario: A salesperson encourages a customer to use the company’s website to explore products and check inventory. But when it’s time to make a purchase, the salesperson suggests that the customer buy directly through them instead, promising a better deal. This approach creates a conflicting message, undermining the very digital transformation efforts the organization is trying to promote.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. Sales teams, often driven by fears of being replaced by eCommerce or losing out on commissions, can inadvertently become a significant barrier to the success of online channels.
Why does this happen?
The root of the problem lies in a few key fears and misunderstandings:
- Fear of Replacement: Many salespeople worry that an effective eCommerce platform could make their role obsolete. They see the website as a competitor rather than a tool that can enhance their effectiveness.
- Compensation Concerns: Sales teams often believe that they will earn less if customers complete transactions through eCommerce rather than directly through them. This fear is particularly prevalent when compensation structures don’t account for online sales.
- Misaligned Roles: When salespeople focus on being order takers rather than strategic consultants, they miss out on the opportunity to build deeper relationships with customers and uncover larger, more complex problems that the organization can solve.
The solution: Communication, inclusion, and alignment
To overcome these challenges, it’s essential to transform how sales teams perceive and interact with eCommerce. Here’s how to do it:
- Incorporate Sales in Your Project Plan: From the outset, involve sales leadership and individual team members in your eCommerce initiatives. Their input and buy-in are crucial for success.
- Communicate Benefits Clearly: Regularly communicate how the eCommerce platform will benefit salespeople. Show them how it can free up their time from routine order-taking, allowing them to focus on building strategic relationships that lead to bigger and more profitable deals.
- Align Compensation: Ensure that your sales compensation structure rewards salespeople for eCommerce transactions as well as traditional sales. This alignment is critical to eliminating the fear that they will lose out financially if their customers use the website.
- Identify and Empower eCommerce Champions: Find the salespeople who truly embrace the eCommerce channel and recognize its potential. Bring them into the fold as advocates who can help lead the cultural shift within the sales team.
The outcome: a more strategic sales force
When you effectively align your sales incentives with your eCommerce goals, you empower your sales team to transition from mere order takers to strategic partners for your customers. The website can handle routine transactions, freeing your salespeople to focus on what they do best: building relationships, uncovering problems, and driving significant business growth.
In the end, the success of your eCommerce platform depends not just on technology but on the people who use it. By incorporating, communicating with, and compensating your sales team appropriately, you ensure they become the greatest evangelists for your digital efforts, not its unwitting saboteurs.
