A professional sales program is a growth engine

Businesses often view sales as a necessary evil instead of an essential function. However, a structured, strategic, and professional sales program is crucial for any business aiming for growth. A common mistake is hiring salespeople, providing them with a list, and hoping for the best without a proper process, accountability, or clear expectations. When sales fall short of targets, the blame game begins, revenue declines, expenses increase, your sales team experiences turnover, and the business faces difficulties.

The key to building a successful sales organization isn’t to operate on hope. Instead, you should establish structured, repeatable processes that yield predictable results, much like how you create products or deliver services. This approach fosters a culture of accountability while allowing space for creativity and even the possibility of failure. Innovation thrives when individuals have the freedom to test, learn, and adapt. A structured sales process serves as a guide or map, accommodating personal style choices along your journey, including detours.

However, one of the biggest mistakes I see in building a sales program is how companies compensate their sales teams. A 100% commission-based approach may seem like a way to keep people hungry; in reality, it attracts mercenaries—people who prioritize their short-term gain over the company’s long-term success. These salespeople won’t be loyal to your business or your values, only to the next deal. Your customer churn will increase, your cost of sales will be higher, and your sales team will turn over rapidly. It is an avoidable mistake, and if implemented correctly, a sales compensation program combining salary and commission will cost you less overall.

Great companies treat their salespeople as professionals. They invest in their development, support their growth, and provide fair compensation because selling is a skill, a craft, and a discipline. The right sales strategy, paired with the appropriate structure and fair compensation, cultivates a sales team that is dedicated to the business, aligned with its mission, and focused on sustainable revenue growth and customer satisfaction.

Just as gaining a new customer is more costly than selling to an existing customer, your cost to hire a new salesperson and ramp up their results is more costly than retaining the good salespeople you have already hired. Top sales professionals don’t stay in environments where they’re treated like expendable assets. They want:

• Fair and Predictable Pay—A balanced compensation plan with a solid base salary and performance-based incentives ensures that employees can focus on long-term success rather than short-term deals.
• Recognition & Rewards – While money is important, feeling valued is equally vital. Public recognition, meaningful incentives, and career milestones keep salespeople engaged.
• Ongoing Training & Development – The best salespeople are always learning. Companies that invest in continuous sales training, coaching, and skill-building create an environment where professionals want to stay and grow.
• Career Progression – Great salespeople don’t just want commissions—they want a future. A clear path for advancement into leadership, account management, or specialized roles keeps them motivated.
• A Strong Culture & Purpose—Professionals want to sell something they believe in. If they’re just chasing commission without a connection to the company’s mission, they won’t stay. When they see leadership investing in growth, providing strong support, and aligning sales with company values, they buy in.

Sales organizations that neglect these aspects find themselves trapped in a perpetual cycle of turnover, undermining their momentum and revenue. In contrast, those that invest in their salespeople—compensating them as professionals, valuing their contributions, and providing opportunities for growth—cultivate teams that foster long-term success.

If your sales team isn’t performing, it might not be the individuals—it could be the system. Are you fostering an environment where professional salespeople want to stay and succeed? Let’s discuss.