Software-as-a-Service Sales Compensation Management Helps Small- and Mid-Size Businesses Boost Revenues
Lexington, MA - May 11, 2009 - THINKstrategies, Inc., the leading strategic consulting company focused on the business implications of the on-demand services market, announced today that Makana Solutions has been named the latest winner of the Best of SaaS Showplace (BoSS) Awards program, which is aimed at promoting the measurable business benefits being delivered by today's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions.
The BoSS Awards program was announced in January 2009 as the latest initiative by THINKstrategies to bring attention to SaaS and cloud computing companies which are producing tangible business benefits for specific user organizations. These benefits include increased sales, lower costs, higher customer satisfaction, faster operations, and greater profitability.
Makana Solutions is a leading provider of on-demand sales compensation management solutions for small- and mid-size businesses. A case study example of Makana's measurable benefits is Wilson Tile and Stone, a leading residential and commercial building materials provider.
In 2007, Wilson Tile & Stone had annual revenues of $8.5 million, selling to builders that averaged 25 new homes a year. Until the economic slowdown, a significant portion of Wilson Tile's business stemmed from these new construction projects. Today, many of the same builders' new projects have fallen to two houses a year. However, demand in the renovation market was more resilient and continued to be a strong area of focus for Wilson Tile & Stone. Most Wilson Tile's renovation sales had stemmed from homeowner walk-ins and appointments made in the company's showroom. Historically, 95% of sales representatives' compensation was based on salary and the impact of incentives designed to foster up-selling or prospecting were negligible at best.
The company decided that the only way to increase inside renovation sales would be to dramatically change the nature of the sales position by focusing it more on performance. "We selected Makana Motivator Express for its ease of use and the user friendly information on the web," says company general manager, Matt Wilson. "Managing sales commissions is not my background, the advice and expertise included with Makana Motivator, greatly benefited us. Makana is exceptionally intuitive."
Mr. Wilson was able to set up Makana Motivator Express within a few hours, and created new sales compensation plans designed to motivate performance and sell more profitable products. Since deploying the sales compensation management plans, Wilson Tile and Stone's annual revenues have grown almost 11%, jumping to $9.5 million in 2008. "Every rep on the team made more money than they have ever before, and Makana helps to minimize cost and maintain our profits," says Mr. Wilson. To read how Matt Wilson was able to build retail sales commission plans download the case story here.
As a result of these measurable business benefits, Makana Solutions has been named the latest BoSS Award winner. A full description of the company's winning BoSS Award submission can be found at http://www.saas-showplace.com/awardSummary.php?key=524.
"We are pleased to win the BoSS Award in recognition of the increased sales we deliver to SMB's through the self-service sales compensation solution, Makana Motivator ," stated Liz Cobb, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Makana Solutions.
"Companies of all sizes are facing unprecedented sales challenges but many small- and mid-sized businesses are being particularly hard-hit in today's tough economic environment," stated Jeffrey M. Kaplan, the founder of the SaaS Showplace and Managing Director of THINKstrategies, the strategic consulting firm which conceived and administers the Showplace. "Makana Solutions' on-demand sales compensation management solution clearly demonstrates how SaaS-based business applications can help companies address these challenges and achieve their corporate objectives."
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About Makana Solutions Makana Solutions' self-service on-demand software helps more than 250 small and mid-sized businesses design and deliver effective sales compensation that supports company goals and motivates sales to deliver results. Makana Motivator Express is the first solution designed specifically for effective sales compensation planning. Makana Motivator Pro includes the planning capabilities, plus the ability to calculate payments and share graphical commission statements and performance reports. Makana has certified integration for salesforce.com sales compensation and is available on the Force.com AppExchange. Makana Solutions also offers expert sales compensation consulting and free best-practice resources on their web site. http://www.makanasolutions.com.