People act as they are measured

Especially when the metrics are directly related with how people are rewarded. The paid commissions or bonuses drive the behavior, 100%.

I can still recall when I did start to work for DEC, they handed me a policy/culture booklet in which one of the topics was how salespeople were being compensated. It said that they were given a fixed salary, as we wanted to make sure that a perfectly fitting solution was offered to the customers. That makes total sense to me. Otherwise the solution that leads to the highest commission will be pushed.

This is especially critical in areas where the customers are not so knowledgeable about the products, like technology or financial products. As a customer you have to trust the salespeople that they make the right match between your needs and their offers. This fit means that they don’t under-sell nor over-sell, they offer just what is needed. In that case the established trust ensures that you will have a long-term relationship with those customers.

We are seeing that trust is at an all-time low as it concerns government and corporates. Therefor we have to prevent this unethical behavior from salespeople and pay them a fixed salary.

Also if the company’s targets are exceed, I suggest to give a bonus to ALL employees. It is not only sales that contributed to that results, it is the collaborative effort of everyone, from receptionists to administrators to the C-suite.