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 experiences growth, a single seat that encompasses both hunting for new business and farming existing accounts often becomes too demanding for one individual. This necessitates a split of responsibilities. The resistance you're encountering from your team typically stems from a fear of losing income or a fear of losing control over clients.

To effectively address this, you must separate the structural decision from the compensation discussion.

The Accountability Chart First

Begin by focusing entirely on the [Accountability Chart](/qa/resolving-accountability-chart-seat-overlaps). Present to the team that the skill sets required for sales and account management are distinctly different:

• Sales demands a high Quick Start drive, essential for hunting new clients and initiating relationships.
• Account Management requires strong Follow Thru to nurture, retain, and expand existing client relationships.

An individual attempting to occupy both seats will inevitably neglect one of these crucial functions, hindering the business's overall health and growth. Once the team understands and agrees that this split is a structural necessity for the business's long-term well-being, you can then proceed to discuss the compensation plan. For more on ensuring your team is in the right seats, consider how to [assess if an internal candidate is ready for the Integrator seat](/qa/promoting-internal-operations-manager-integrator).

Redesigning Compensation

After the structural alignment is achieved, redesign the commission structure to align with the new roles:

• Salespeople should be primarily rewarded for new customer acquisition.
• Account Managers should be rewarded for client retention and upsells.

Ensure a smooth transition by establishing clear handoff rules and processes between the new sales and account management seats. This clear delineation helps prevent turf wars and ensures a seamless customer experience. If you're wondering about other seat restructuring, look into [splitting an Operations seat](/qa/splitting-operations-seat-on-accountability-chart).

By treating this as a structural imperative first and a financial adjustment second, you can effectively mitigate emotional anxiety and gain alignment on the division of roles. This approach helps the team understand that the change is for the collective good of the business, leading to healthier growth and clearer responsibilities. It's also important to understand [how to structure a developmental runway on your chart](/qa/internal-promotion-runway-accountability-chart) for new or transitioning roles.

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