Ever Wonder Why Only Salespeople Are Paid By Commission?
Should paycheck workers receive individual bonuses or commissions? Yes. In the opinion of The QTNT. Everyone who does an outstanding job should be eligible for monthly commissions for those things they do that create enduring value for the company Over and Above what is spelled out in their job descriptions.
Note ‘Over and Above‘ in that last sentence since most paycheck workers already receive some kind of seasonal or annual bonus for adequately performing their job. What The QTNT is advocating for is bonusing or commissioning individual workers who deliver extraordinary value on the job, regardless of where they reside in the company’s pecking order.
Some Explanation Is in Order
Working with clients, The QTNT has often heard the same, exasperated statement, which goes something like: “I was just doing what I was supposed to be doing.” This led The QTNT to begin questioning clients on the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How (WWWWW & H) behind “what they were supposed to be doing.” We wanted to know about accomplishments as well as the value of what they had delivered to their companies. More often than not The QTNT could dig a bit and find some nugget worthy of discussion that most clients did not consider all that important. This may be just another way of saying they were too close to the subject (themselves!) to be objective.
As children we are taught not to brag. This foundational idea remains with far too many people into adulthood where they believe professionally promoting themselves is bragging. It’s not. Personal promotion, done appropriately, is appropriate!
It quickly became apparent to The QTNT that most workers, whether able to put their finger on it or not, consistently deliver value doing what they are supposed to be doing and doing it well. This is what keeps you employed. But, when you blow the roof off the building with remarkable performance, the company should not be the only beneficiary. That said, it’s up to you, not your employer, to recognize and identify the value of what you do.
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So, what if employees were paid a bonus or a commission when the value they deliver is Over and Above what their job descriptions call for? If the return is significant unanticipated revenue or savings, then yes, commissions and bonuses based on unexpected revenue are wholly warranted. Not too much there to wrap your brain around, right?
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Where is the Money Coming From?
The QTNT know your heads are about to explode with this talk of commissioning a paycheck worker. The QTNT knows you are thinking, “Who’s going to pay for all this?!”
The answer is your employees will, because The QTNT is self-funding.
The QTNT funds itself from unanticipated savings and/or new revenue.
(You really should read the book…!)
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