In a hypercompetitive market, the same old incentive package will stifle expansion and drive sales teams into the ground. Businesses that can identify the behavioural variations of salesforce can capitalize on unrealized value by dividing the teams and creating personalized reward plans.

Sales teams are rarely homogeneous. Hunters go for the quick sale, farmers keep the old friends, consultants build long-term relationships. By selling people according to their strengths, companies can group incentives to motivate them to do the right thing. Hunters, for example, could be paid high commissions for bringing in new clients, farmers for renewals, upsells and repeat business.

Think of a tech company that divided their sales force into three divisions: new business, account, and strategic partnerships. The new business group dominated by the stiff quotas and faster payouts for new logos. Account managers received retention and expansion bonuses, and partnership managers got bonuses related to co-selling programmes. That kind of segmentation led to 20% revenue growth within a year, because each team was in their own specialist zone.

In addition to driving revenues, segmentation avoids under-rewarding winners and overcompensating losers. It creates a performance culture where every salesperson is set against achievable goals. Not only this helps in the morale but also creates more accountability and transparency in the company.

In order to apply this, organizations need to get deep into sales data, do behavioural analysis and work hand-in-hand with sales executives. Regular assessment makes sure incentive programs are continuously adjusted to changing market conditions and team performance.

Personalizing incentives based on each selling style does more than just increase sales — it improves job satisfaction, minimizes turnover, and creates a strong, well-functioning sales force. When businesses adopt this subtle strategy, they set themselves up for market dominance and success.