ABSTRACT
Sales personnel and the work they do are “unique,” according to most members of sales management. The belief that sales work differs substantially in many respects is valid. An organization selling a product that is a commodity, with many competitors, may view sales as its primary focus—its ticket to survival. In many organizations the increasing complexity of products has resulted in the creation of sales teams, with direct sales, sales support and technical personnel populating them. Bonuses may be paid for actions that may or may not generate immediate sales, such as making new product presentations or achieving a high customer satisfaction rating. Sales functions run contests that are aimed at producing a specific result in a specific time period. If an organization is to be able to attract and retain high-caliber sales personnel it must provide a competitive compensation package.
