Pros
When I first started everyone was focused on helping each other be successful, people cared about the company, about ensuring their managers were successful and focused on client success. The compensation plan was average, however, if you exceeded your goals the incentive trips were incredible and the company celebrated success. Plus you had the opportunity to earn uncapped commissions. There was a National sales meeting where training and people development and celebration of success was embraced. We tried to be truly strategic in nature.
Cons
Now it's all about monthly attainment and focusing on the transaction rather than the client outcomes. The incentive trip used to be global for all teams around the world, now it is regional (cost measure), the amount of time has also been cut. The mandate is to be a trusted advisor to the client base by 20/20, however it is difficult to be a strategic partner when you focus your efforts on the transaction. The shift has moved from an annual quota to monthly, it seems like the company is emulating the large software vendors. The managers are becoming younger and younger truly are focused on tasks and micromanagement as are of the sales role has moved to predictive analytics. If you don't follow the the outlined steps then you are doomed. Hence the managers are not sales leaders and coaches who inspire, rather they focus on activities that are stated to drive results and become task masters. Not the company I started with nor loved when I was there.