Our Sales and Account Management seat has become too massive for one person to handle, but the team is resistant to splitting it because they fear losing their commission structures. How do we divide this seat cleanly?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a business grows, a single seat that handles both hunting new business and farming existing accounts eventually becomes too large for one person. It must be split. The resistance you are facing from your team is usually driven by fear of losing income or fear of losing client control. To resolve this, you must separate the structural decision from the compensation discussion. First, focus entirely on the Accountability Chart. Show the team that the skill sets required for sales and account management are completely different. Sales requires a high Quick Start drive to hunt new clients, while account management requires high Follow Thru to nurture and retain them. One person sitting in both seats will inevitably neglect one function. Once the team agrees that the split is structurally necessary for the health of the business, you can address the compensation plan. Redesign the commission structure so that the salesperson is rewarded for new customer acquisition, while the account manager is rewarded for retention and upsells. Make sure the transition is smooth by creating clear handoff rules. By treating this as a structural necessity first and a financial transition second, you remove the emotional anxiety and gain alignment on the split.