Joining with a commission software provider, like starting any relationship, is a huge commitment. With so much at stake for your employees, distributors, and your bottom line, how can you know you’re choosing the right partner? Start by adding these five services to the top of your priority list. If the provider you’re considering meets these criteria, you’re much more likely to have a happy, long-term union.
1.Pay Fast and Accurate Commissions
Your distributors count on you to pay them correctly and when you say you will. As lightning-fast commissions become more and more common, are your payments staying competitive and keeping your distributors on target?
If you want to be on top of your payout game, a great commission calculator has to be a big priority for your software package. Most MLM software companies will have their own calculator, but not all can meet your needs. To be able to sustain growth and support all of your future comp plan changes, make sure you’re getting one that’s powerful enough to handle all of the complexities of your plan and the data volume that goes with it.
Remember, too, that flawed calculations influence more than just payouts. Customer experience and reporting are also affected. So, it’s worth it to spend the time finding a software company that gives you a fast and accurate commission calculator—the money that you spend investing in a solid solution now will save you from a lot of headaches and financial stress cleaning up future problems.
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Learn more about our commission management software here.
2. Give You Flexibility and Options
All direct selling businesses are unique. They come in all shapes and sizes, so a one-size-fits-all system probably won’t be best for your company. For a tailored solution, customization needs to be an essential part of your experience.
Great MLM commission software will integrate with websites and software you already use. And, if it doesn’t meet your expectations, you should be able to change it in a way that does. So, ask your provider about where individualization options are available in your plan and how those software pieces can be customized—what does it cost to make changes? Will you need to hire your own specialists to do the job? To get a solution that looks and operates like your brand, make sure that the company you decide to go with is flexible enough to work with what you already have while catering to your specific needs.
3. Scale for Your Success
Like any direct selling company, you dream big. You see success as the inevitable future, not a possible fluke. With recent figures showing over 400% increase for some of the fastest-growing young companies in the industry, software scaling needs to be in your provider’s repertoire. Sure, they can support you now, but what about after a growth spurt? Will you be forced to switch systems and risk stunting your progress?
Ideally, your provider should have a singular solution with scalable components. That way, when you begin to fill out, the system is already built to support you. Asking questions about scalability will pay huge dividends toward steady success and save you from a lot of costly and unplanned software transitions.
4. Tell Your Data’s Story
Every company has a story about what works and doesn’t in their comp plan, promotions, incentives, and trainings, written for years by the countless numbers processed through their software systems. For a lot of companies, though, too much of that story is hidden in data stores instead of showing up in reports, meetings and important decisions. Using commission software to access that information will keep you more agile and informed in making smart, strategic moves for the future.
So, as you narrow down your options, ask your prospective providers about how they deal with data. What kind of information do they think is important to keep track of? Is there any way for you to begin collecting information they’re not already screening for? How do they let you know when important events or issues come up? Make sure you’re getting the right access to your data and the story it holds before diving headfirst into your new partnership.
5. Help You Take Care of Your Distributors and Customers
Every MLM needs a great Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system—personalized interactions are one of the biggest reasons people love buying from direct selling businesses. Your customers know they can depend on distributors to meet most of their needs, but when bigger issues or questions come up, they need to feel comfortable reaching out to your service team for help as well.
So, what should you look for? When considering a provider’s CRM, it’s important to make sure it’s been specifically crafted for the direct selling industry—it should show your employees things like downline structure, value points, rank and other info that a traditional customer service system doesn’t.
You should also look for tools that help your service members to answer questions quickly and effectively. If it takes too long for them to find relevant information, your tied-up phone lines and customers’ lack of patience will make for a lot of unnecessary stress and unkind feelings. If your software provider offers an industry-specific, easy-to-use CRM, you can rest easy knowing your salesforce and customers will be well taken care of.
Ready to Decide?
For a great software experience, make sure your prospective provider can deliver at least these five basic software services. If you learn as much about their experience as you can beforehand and both agree to solve for what you need, you can craft effective solutions together that will benefit your business for years to come. Happy searching!
To learn more about InfoTrax’s commission software products, click here to request more information or schedule a free demo.
