Commission de vente SaaS B2B - Guide complet

B2B SaaS sales commissions have been evolving over the past few years. More companies are adopting innovative pay models as a way of boosting sales performance with some reporting significant increases in sales productivity. 

Dans un écosystème de vente tel que le SaaS B2B, les cycles sont généralement longs, les produits complexes et les revenus récurrents. Cette complexité nécessite une approche assez structurée pour définir les rémunérations des vendeurs. 

Ce blog va fournir un guide définitif sur les commissions de vente SaaS B2B ; les multiples modèles, les meilleures pratiques et les stratégies qui aideront les entreprises à être plus efficaces dans la mise en place de leurs plans de rémunération des ventes. 

Comprendre les commissions de vente dans le secteur SaaS B2B 

Sales commissions in B2B SaaS are performance-based incentives given to sales teams based on criteria like the number of deals closed, contract value, or meeting specific sales targets. These incentives encourage sales representatives to achieve or exceed their goals, aligning their efforts with the company's revenue objectives. The role of the B2B SaaS sales commission extends beyond the close of a sale. It is an intelligent way to: 

• Drive the right behaviors: Compensation, when it is tied to defined metrics, drives sales activity that supports business objectives. 
• Attract and retain top talent: Competitive commission structures help SaaS companies attract and retain the best sales professionals in a dynamic labor market.  
• Stimuler la croissance: Des plans de commission bien conçus peuvent inciter les vendeurs à sortir de leur zone de confort et favoriser une croissance rapide de l'entreprise. 
• Customer satisfaction: By relating the success of customers to commissions for sales teams, there can be long-term incentives concerning customer relationships. 

En quoi les structures de commission du SaaS B2B diffèrent-elles des modèles traditionnels à plusieurs égards ? 

Les modèles de commission traditionnels impliquent généralement des paiements directs en pourcentage sur chaque vente, en mettant l'accent sur les revenus immédiats. Ils manquent souvent de complexité, récompensant les commerciaux sur la base d'objectifs à court terme sans tenir compte de la fidélisation des clients à long terme ou des revenus récurrents. Voici la différence :  

• Focus on recurring revenue: The SaaS model focuses on customer lifetime value rather than the one-time sale, so salespeople need to look beyond the first contract to upsell opportunities, renewals, and expansion. 
• Longer sales cycles: Complex B2B sales can run into months, necessitating different commission timing. Some firms introduce milestone-based commissions to keep reps engaged during lengthier sales processes. 
• Product complexity: SaaS products often require technical knowledge, which drives a different type of commission structure. Companies can include bonuses for product certification in their commission plans to encourage ongoing learning. 
• Mesures du succès des clients: De nombreuses sociétés SaaS lient leurs commissions à l'utilisation et à la rétention de votre logiciel par le client. 
• Attribution multi-touch: Les B2B impliquent généralement un processus de vente multi-touch pour une entreprise SaaS, depuis le premier contact jusqu'aux démonstrations de produits et aux conversations de suivi. Ce type de processus multi-touch nécessite une structure de commission qui récompense les différents membres de l'équipe à différents stades du cycle de vente. 

What are the challenges in redesigning the B2B compensation plans? 

Tension between sales and procurement: The current economic climate has intensified the conflict between B2B sales teams and customer procurement departments, as companies strive to maintain margins while customers seek to cut costs and consolidate suppliers. 

1. Inadequate inclusion of pricing metrics 

Despite a strong desire for strategic pricing, fewer than 10% of reviewed Sales Incentive Plans (sips) include price-based metrics. This lack of integration often leads to missed opportunities for aligning sales performance with broader corporate financial goals. 

2. Complexity in design 

Organizations frequently struggle with overly complex compensation structures that hinder the effective implementation of pricing metrics. Concerns about exposing confidential information further complicate the design process. 

3. Setting realistic pricing targets 

Companies face difficulties in establishing achievable pricing targets due to varying market conditions and internal capabilities. This issue is particularly pronounced in competitive markets where price sensitivity is high. 

4. Behavioral misalignment 

Without clear specifications on desired pricing behaviors, salespeople may engage in practices that are beneficial individually but detrimental to the organization as a whole. 

Types courants de structures de commissions de vente 

Vous trouverez ci-dessous les 6 structures de commissions de vente les plus courantes : 

Base salary plus commission:

This compensation plan model follows a fixed base salary with commissions on offer, subject to sales performance. It provides a base salary to sales representatives, meanwhile motivating them to reach higher levels with commissions. The base and commission rates could be balanced according to requirements set by the company and the conditions prevailing in the market.  
 
It's effective because B2B SaaS companies generally have longer sales cycles. The salesperson is assured of income even during long-drawn negotiations and, with it, compelled to close deals. Companies can modify the plan by commission rates or adding performance levels to meet goals in such a scheme to encourage the sales team. 

Tiered commission structures:

Tiered structures increase commission rates if representatives achieve higher sales goals. For example, at Zoom Video Communications, the increasing commission rates go from 5% to 15% if reps exceed their quota. Say, for example, the Sales Representative can achieve the following in Zoom: 

• Commission de 7 % sur les ventes inférieures à 100 % du quota 
• 9 % sur les ventes entre 100 et 120 % du quota 
• 12% on all sales over 120% of quota 
   
  It incentivizes representatives to reach for more than the basic goals for much bigger rewards. 

Recurring commissions: 

This system ensures commission as long as a customer account remains active. This works with the SaaS subscription models, helping salespeople retain customers for a long period. Representatives earn a percentage of the money coming in continually. 
 
This keeps them focused on building enduring relations with their clients, not on quick, shaky deals. Harvard Business Review research supports that recurring commissions are effective for building long-term client relationships. 

Accelerators and incentives:

These are additional incentives to exceed targets. They are designed to motivate sales representatives to strive for performance above quota with the use of additional commission rates or bonuses. This model can lead to a significant increase in sales productivity along with revenue growth. Accelerators generally start at key thresholds, with some type of tiered system giving much to top performers. 

Multiply commission plans: 

Some B2B SaaS companies have commission-rate-modifying plans depending on various factors. These could be plans that adjust the commission rates about certain criteria: product type, customer segment, or even deal profitability. Because these plans are flexible, companies can, therefore, incentivize specific sales types in ways that align with broader business objectives. 

Residual commission model:

Residual models matter a lot for companies that care about customer success. This is a method for tying sales rewards to long-term client value and a way to motivate the salesperson to help the client grow, rather than just "make the sale.". 

5 meilleurs logiciels pour la commission des ventes SaaS B2B 

Voici la liste des 5 meilleurs logiciels de commissionnement des ventes B2B SaaS que vous pouvez choisir : 

1. Compass 

Compass offre une visibilité en temps réel sur les performances de vente et les commissions de l'organisation. Il s'agit d'un logiciel complet de suivi des commissions de vente pour le SaaS B2B, qui permet aux équipes de rester motivées et de garder le cap. 

Compass automatise les calculs complexes de commissions, éliminant ainsi le besoin de feuilles de calcul et réduisant les erreurs. Cette fonction est essentielle pour assurer des paiements précis et opportuns. 

La plateforme fournit de puissants outils d'analyse et de reporting permettant aux entreprises de suivre les performances et les paiements en temps réel. Les utilisateurs peuvent visualiser les tendances des données à travers différentes dimensions telles que les régions, les équipes et les programmes, ce qui les aide à prendre des décisions commerciales éclairées. 

Compass supports various commission structures suitable for SaaS business models, including recurring commissions for customer retention. This flexibility allows companies to align their compensation strategies with their specific business goals and sales processes. 

A leading automotive solutions provider faced challenges with manual commission calculations and a lack of visibility as they grew. By adopting Compass, they automated commission processes and provided real-time performance tracking for sales reps and business heads. Within 100 days, they saw a 20% increase in incentive adoption, 18% more qualifiers, and a 25% rise in payouts. 

2. CaptivateIQ 

Il offre à des entreprises de premier plan comme Carta et Gong la capacité de calcul et de modélisation la plus complète, pilotée par l'IA, pour concevoir et gérer des plans de commission complexes. CaptivateIQ automatise le calcul des commissions de vente, en garantissant l'exactitude et la rapidité d'exécution.  

Il permet aux entreprises de créer des plans de commission flexibles qui s'alignent sur leurs stratégies de vente spécifiques. Le logiciel s'intègre parfaitement aux systèmes commerciaux et financiers existants et fournit des rapports et des analyses en temps réel pour aider les équipes de vente à suivre leurs performances et leurs revenus. 

3. Spiff 

 Grâce à son constructeur de plans visuels intuitifs, par glisser-déposer, et à ses relevés de commissions en temps réel, des sociétés SaaS à croissance rapide comme Intercom et Clearbit ont utilisé Spiff de manière efficace. 

Spiff se concentre sur l'automatisation du calcul des commissions afin de réduire les erreurs manuelles et de gagner du temps. Sa plateforme offre des structures de commissions personnalisables, ce qui permet aux entreprises d'adapter leurs plans de rémunération en fonction de leurs besoins. 

Spiff propose également des fonctions de reporting transparentes, qui permettent aux représentants commerciaux de visualiser clairement leurs revenus et leurs performances. 

4. Xactly Incent 

 Exploitant des analyses avancées et l'IA, Xactly Incent est la stratégie de rémunération des ventes qui fait la différence pour des entreprises telles que Salesforce et HP. Xactly Incent est conçu pour la gestion de la rémunération incitative, en particulier dans les environnements de vente complexes. 

Il prend en charge différentes structures de commissions, y compris des commissions échelonnées et résiduelles, qui récompensent à la fois l'acquisition et la fidélisation des clients. Le logiciel offre de solides outils d'analyse pour mesurer l'efficacité des plans de rémunération et les aligner sur les objectifs de l'entreprise. 

5. Performio 

 Cette solution est idéale pour les grandes entreprises SaaS, car elle prend en charge plusieurs devises et assure le suivi de la conformité au sein d'équipes de vente nombreuses et parfois géographiquement dispersées. 

Performio offre une solution complète pour la gestion des commissions de vente en mettant l'accent sur la flexibilité. Elle permet aux organisations de concevoir des plans de commissions complexes adaptés à leurs besoins. 

La plateforme offre une synchronisation des données en temps réel avec d'autres systèmes d'entreprise, ce qui garantit que les calculs de commissions sont basés sur des informations exactes et à jour. 

How to redesign the B2B compensation plan? 

To effectively incorporate price-based metrics into SIPs, organizations must consider several key steps: 

1. Aligning on desired behaviors: Companies should clearly define the pricing behaviors they wish to incentivize, focusing on four primary behaviors that enhance pricing discipline and overall sales performance. 
2. Designing effective metrics: The choice between price-realization metrics and margin-based metrics is critical. Price-realization metrics are easier to implement but may create internal tensions, while margin-based metrics align more closely with company goals but can lead to a narrow focus on specific products. 

3. Performance assessment methods: Organizations need to adopt performance assessment methods that reflect both final pricing positions and improvements over time, potentially using a hybrid approach that balances these factors. 
4. Weighting metrics appropriately: To influence behavior effectively, price-based metrics should constitute at least 20% of the variable compensation target within the SIP. Adjustments may be necessary to ensure alignment with overall company success metrics without disproportionately rewarding easily achieved outcomes. 
5. Implementing support systems: Successful integration of pricing metrics requires robust systems and inputs that facilitate tracking and managing these new compensation elements effectively. 

By addressing these challenges and strategically redesigning compensation plans, B2B organizations can enhance their sales teams' pricing strategies, leading to improved margins and sustainable growth aligned with corporate objectives. 

Conclusion 

An effective B2B SaaS sales commission structure is always at the core of any growth-oriented and sales team-motivating process. Companies can build efficient incentive systems aligned with their business goals and market dynamics by understanding the unique aspects of SaaS sales, putting in place best practices, and using advanced commission management software like Compass. 

As the B2B SaaS landscape continues to change, so too must commission structures. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the B2B SaaS companies that can view their sales commission structures as not just an element of static compensation but as a dynamic tool driving business strategy and fostering high-performance sales cultures will set them apart from the rest. Schedule a call with Compass and see how it can transform your sales compensation plan into doing wonders. 

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