Your VP Sales changed your comp plan.

What should you do?

Let’s break this down.

In most cases, a changed comp plan is not an open door to negotiation.

Usually your chance to negotiate (if ever) is when getting hired. Changes that come later are usually consistent and final team-wide.

Generally speaking you have two choices:

1. Complain against the new plan
2. Support and embrace the new plan

Your gut will always want to do the former.

But you should usually do the latter.

There is a 3rd option though…

Which is to support and embrace the plan, see how it works for 90 days, then express concern if it’s not working.

Whenever a leader introduces change, it’s best to support it, do everything you can to make it work, but then be open to expressing concern later down the road if it’s failing.

Your feedback carries a lot of weight after you’ve made an abundantly clear effort to support the change in a positive light.

FWIW… those who behave this way tend to become Managers, Directors, and VP Sales.

It’s not our job to agree with every strategy.

It is our job to try to make them work.

The best leaders notice when reps support things they know they don’t actually like.

It’s a shining example of a future leader.

Patience is a virtue.

Have some.

If/when you need to express concern, always do it privately and never express those concerns to other reps on the team.

That’s the opposite of the support your leader needs. Believe it or not, a lot of success is defined by the attitude the team has about the strategy.

So everyone’s attitude plays a role in each strategy succeeding or failing.

For leaders, this is why it’s generally best practice to campaign behind the scenes, get people’s thoughts, and make sure you have a bench of support from key players before releasing or announcing big changes.

This has always been my style, so I know I have mass support before I make it official and the people everyone looks to for reactions are already onboard.

Bringing key people into the process early makes them respect you more as a leader because they feel valued (and for good reason) because everything comes out better when you get input before deciding.

Happy Selling,