3 Reasons to Invest in Sales Automation Software for Growth

Explore the top reasons to invest in sales automation software and how it enhances sales forecasting, reduces errors, and improves financial transparency for sustainable business growth.

Written by Compass Team, 5 Mar 2025
Berinvestasi dalam Platform Otomatisasi Insentif

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Program insentif telah lama ada untuk melibatkan, menginspirasi, dan meningkatkan penjualan dan pertumbuhan mitra saluran dengan memotivasi tindakan penjualan yang diinginkan dalam skala yang lebih besar. Meskipun sifatnya yang bervariasi, kita tidak dapat menyangkal dampak langsungnya terhadap kesuksesan organisasi. 

Quality incentive programs can increase sales performance by as much as 44%. (Source:IRF

Most companies employ financial and non-financial incentives to achieve the desired sales performance output.

However,most organizations lack the technology or knowledge to create correctly structured programs to manage and measure their incentive calculations. This leads to a skewed picture of the total performance output from sales and an inaccurate measurement of incentives ROI. Additionally, the largely manual nature of the calculations makes real-time analysis almost impossible. 

Artikel ini akan membahas pentingnya menyusun program insentif Anda dan berinvestasi dalam Platform Otomasi Insentif untuk meningkatkan keuntungan Anda. 

Tantangan yang ditimbulkan oleh proses penghitungan dan pengelolaan insentif secara manual 

Tidak seperti CTC, hasil bisnis mendorong insentif, dan perhitungannya bergantung pada laba penjualan. Pada tingkat dasar, rumus untuk menghitung pembayaran insentif berbasis penjualan adalah sebagai berikut: 

calculating a sales-based incentive payment

For example, if Mark is responsible for $50,000 in sales this year and his sales incentive is 10%, his incentive payment should be $5000. 

As the organization grows, other factors, including commissions, bonuses, etc., influence this computation. This makes it difficult to scale the calculations.  

Most incentive programs rely on a manual computation process where one or two designated HR resources have to use excel sheets and emails to calculate incentive compensation for each sale and channel partner representative. Some drawbacks of manual incentive calculation are:

Drawbacks of manual incentive calculation

3 Reasons why you should think of automating incentive compensation plan 

There are three reasons why you should think of automating incentive compensation. Read on to know them. 

1. Forecasting with sales automation software 

One of the most compelling reasons to invest in sales automation software is its ability to improve forecasting accuracy. By consolidating sales performance data into a single system, businesses gain a real-world, historical view of rep performance—beyond just the current quarter. 

This enables sales leaders to analyze key aspects such as: 

  • How sales reps’ skills evolve over time 
  • Their performance when assigned to new territories 
  • The accuracy of their past pipeline assessments 
  • Additional insights that enhance current sales forecasts 

Traditional forecasting methods require significant manual effort, making these analyses time-consuming—often preventing them from happening at all. With incentive compensation business automation, sales teams can access these insights instantly, allowing them to refine strategies and drive more predictable revenue outcomes. Improved forecasting benefits the entire organization by optimizing resource allocation and ensuring smarter decision-making.

How Compass enhances forecasting

Compass eliminates manual errors and delays by automating incentive compensation management (ICM) tasks. With automated calculations, pre-built templates, and zero manual work, Compass ensures accurate compensation forecasting. The platform’s predictive analytics, benchmarking, and plan effectiveness insights help organizations refine their sales strategies based on data, not guesswork. Additionally, Compass offers territory reports and payout trend analysis, allowing businesses to make informed decisions about sales forecasting with complete confidence. 

2. Managing comp expenses efficiently 

Finance teams are key allies when implementing incentive compensation automation, as it directly impacts cost efficiency. Businesses, on average, allocate 10% of annual revenue to compensation, with Gartner reporting that 3-5% of sales compensation expenses result in overpayments

For instance, if a company generates $100 million in annual sales and pays a 10% commission, mismanagement could lead to an extra $300,000–$800,000 in unintended payments. Common issues such as incorrect crediting or duplicate payouts drive up the cost of selling, negatively affecting profitability. 

With an automated incentive program, companies can identify and eliminate these overpayments, ensuring commissions are accurately distributed. This not only reduces unnecessary expenses but also improves financial transparency, enabling businesses to reinvest saved revenue into growth initiatives. 

How Compass helps manage compensation expenses: 

Compass provides organizations with powerful incentive compensation plan modeling, allowing them to test draft compensation plans before implementation. By running what-if scenario modeling across roles, businesses can ensure commission structures align with revenue goals. The platform’s cost-of-sales analysis, investment vs. revenue insights, and plan comparison tools enable companies to adjust their incentive strategies in real-time, eliminating overpayments and maximizing profitability. 

3. Enhancing HR efficiency and sales retention 

Sales reps may stay silent about commission errors in their favor, but they are quick to raise concerns when underpaid. In some organizations, disputes over commissions take up hours of managers’ time daily, creating friction between sales teams and leadership. 

This mistrust extends to human resources as well. According to the 2021 State of Global Enterprise Sales Performance Report, voluntary sales turnover increased in 2020, with 58% of companies experiencing higher turnover than in 2019. While industry changes contributed to this trend, a lack of trust in compensation accuracy also played a role. 

High turnover places a heavy burden on HR teams, forcing them into a constant cycle of recruiting and onboarding. Workable reported that in 2020, the average sales role took 48 days to fill. A company experiencing the industry average 27% turnover rate faces ongoing hiring challenges. By leveraging incentive automation to ensure fair and accurate compensation, businesses can reduce turnover to around 15%, significantly decreasing recruitment efforts and allowing HR to focus on broader organizational needs.

How Compass supports HR and sales retention:

Compass fosters a collaborative team culture by providing transparent incentive plans and a structured in-app dispute management system, reducing escalations and ensuring reps receive accurate payments. By eliminating payout errors, Compass strengthens trust between sales reps and management, decreasing turnover rates. Additionally, the platform enables organizations to collect real-time feedback on compensation plans, refine structures based on rep input, and ensure alignment with market trends. With a streamlined incentive management system, HR teams can focus on recruiting top talent while reducing time spent resolving compensation disputes.

Investing in incentive compensation automation streamlines financial operations, enhances forecasting accuracy, and fosters trust between sales teams and leadership—ultimately driving better performance and stronger business growth. 

Keuntungan berinvestasi dalam platform otomatisasi insentif 

Saat ini, meningkatnya popularitas otomatisasi Insentif membuat banyak Pemimpin SalesOps dan RevOps mempertanyakan perlunya berinvestasi dalam perangkat lunak yang mahal untuk mengotomatisasi komisi vs. terus menggunakan satu atau dua sumber daya untuk menghitungnya secara manual. 

Untuk menjawab hal ini, kita perlu melihat munculnya incentives automation (IA) sebagai solusi berbasis cloud yang berbeda yang menggabungkan beberapa modul ke dalam satu strategi berbasis perilaku yang memengaruhi kinerja penjualan secara global dengan mempercepat waktu menuju pendapatan. 

Incentives Automation (AI) today is taking incentive programs from intuition to a science, ensuring brands deploy the right mix, level, and cadence of incentives to improve revenue and profit from the channel. (Source: LinkedIn)‍ 

Sebagian besar platform otomatisasi insentif saat ini menggunakan algoritme pembelajaran untuk menentukan kisaran dan tingkat insentif berdasarkan profil individu dan riwayat perilaku. Dengan menganalisis audiens penjualan dan mitra saluran secara real-time, platform otomatisasi insentif dapat menghitung jumlah dan jenis insentif yang tepat. 

Alih-alih menggantikan sumber daya yang mengelola penghitungan komisi dan insentif, penghitungan berbasis AI ini dapat menjadi alat yang ampuh untuk memberdayakan sumber daya yang ada untuk melakukan pekerjaan yang lebih strategis dengan menggunakan data dan wawasan real-time. 

Dengan kata lain, platform otomatisasi insentif dapat memberdayakan semua orang untuk menjadi juara yang mendorong pendapatan, mulai dari tim penjualan dan mitra saluran hingga pemimpin penjualan, manajer komisi, dan tim keuangan. 

How incentive automation can empower sales and channel partners? 

Berikut ini adalah bagaimana otomatisasi insentif melalui Compass dapat membantu memberdayakan mitra penjualan dan saluran: 

How incentive automation can empower managers? 

‍Implementing incentive automation through Compass equips managers with the tools needed to drive team performance and boost revenue.

Compass - Incentive automation

By leveraging an automated incentive program, managers can streamline processes, set clear goals, and use real-time insights to keep their teams motivated. 

Monitor team progress and maximize productivity 
With real-time tracking, managers can set achievable targets and use incentive compensation automation to ensure their teams stay motivated. This approach leads to 10X sales productivity and revenue growth, making it one of the key reasons to invest in sales automation software. 

Reduce disputes with transparency 
Compass allows managers to create performance-driven incentive structures, ensuring clarity in commission calculations and potential earnings for every closed deal. A transparent system helps in reducing conflicts and maintaining trust within the sales team. 

Gain a competitive edge with real-time insights 
By continuously refining incentive compensation business automation, managers can adapt their automated incentive program to match evolving market conditions. Compass enables managers to analyze revenue trends and replicate successful commission models, ensuring sustained business growth. 

How incentive automation can empower administrators? 

For administrators, incentive automation simplifies commission management and ensures efficiency at scale.

Compass - Payout tracker

With Compass, they can monitor sales performance, automate payouts, and measure the impact of incentive structures. 

Ensure on-time payout disbursement

Eliminating spreadsheets and implementing incentive compensation automation ensures that sales reps receive timely, error-free payouts. This removes payout uncertainty, allowing reps to focus solely on selling. 

Champion greater revenue growth‍ 

When companies invest in a good incentive automation platform, the main aim is to benefit the sales department. However, the benefits trickle down to the rest of the company - maximizing profits, increasing market share, improving forecasting, and overall data analysis.  

Ultimately, it becomes a weapon empowering everyone, from sales and channel partner teams to sales managers and commission managers, to champion greater revenue growth. Schedule a call with Compass now to know how Compass can be your saviour.

Pertanyaan Umum 

Q: How does incentive compensation work? 

A: Incentive compensation rewards employees based on their performance, typically through commissions, bonuses, or profit-sharing. It aligns employee goals with business objectives, motivating them to achieve specific targets.

Q: What is an ICM tool?

A: An Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) tool automates the calculation, tracking, and distribution of incentive pay. It ensures accuracy, transparency, and efficiency in managing commission plans.

Q: What are the top 3 employee desired incentives? 

A: The top three incentives employees value most are: 

  1. Performance-based bonuses – Monetary rewards for exceeding targets. 
  2. Flexible work options – Remote work or flexible schedules. 
  3. Career growth opportunities – Training, mentorship, and promotions.

Q: What is an example of an incentive compensation plan?

A: A common example is a sales commission plan, where sales reps earn a percentage of revenue from closed deals. For instance, a company may offer a 5% commission on every sale, with additional bonuses for exceeding sales quotas. 





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