Are group KPIs effective for a sales department?

Recently, many Russian companies have been fascinated by Western experience (by the way already obsolete) of using group KPIs in sales departments. That is, the plan is exposed not only to each specific employee, but to the entire department as a whole. According to the plan, this should force experienced old-timers to help green newcomers to fulfill the plan.

Since we are engaged in improving the efficiency of the company, we could not weigh the pros and cons of this option of motivation. And that's what happened.

First, only group KPIs in the form of a sales plan never work. If a specific person is not responsible for the implementation of the plan, then in the eyes of the team, no one is responsible for the plan. No circular guarantee does not work, labor consciousness is not relevant, the collective mind succumbs to the ardent desire of the individual so that someone else can do his work.
So let's see if it makes sense to give group sales plans in addition to personal plans.

What are group plans for? First of all, managers believe that bad salespeople are afraid of the anger of the team, who, because of them, will not receive a bonus and will start to work a lot and work well. Secondly, the chiefs firmly believe that the old-timers, concerned about the lack of a bonus, will rush to help newcomers increase sales.
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Alas, in objective reality, the old-timers will either accept the loss of the prize, but will work carelessly because they will not believe in the possibility of receiving the prize, or they will choose the company where they will be paid only for their personal achievements.

The fact is that the collective responsibility (and the group plan means it) only works if the penalty for failure to perform is heavy enough, and there is no place to go. In many armies of the ancient (and not so) world, if one fighter displayed cowardice on the battlefield, other soldiers of his regiment / tumens would be executed ... Therefore, the deserter would be killed by his own comrades. And all you can do is deprive a person of money that he does not yet have. Yes, and prevent him to desert to another company you are not able to. So the sales department is unlikely to be able to influence those who are lagging behind - well, not really “dark”, but in fact they should be organized ...

But group responsibility is often equal to the complete absence of all responsibility. The child of seven nannies is still without an eye, but about the hard fate of a child who is monitored by fourteen nannies do not even want to think.

But if you really want the team to take part in the training for beginners, help them to get used to the profession, share secrets and techniques, nothing can be done, you have to pay extra. It is to pay the old and honored workers who, in addition to their immediate duties, will drag the novice on their back and drag him along the way to professional skills (although it’s actually the other way around - the newcomer will sit on his back and chase him to show where this very skill lies). And during that time, 50% of the sales of a novice go to the plan for his mentor during the training. Or the mentor receives 50% of the premium of his student (not to the detriment of the student of course).

And one more important thing. In the implementation of the plan are not only sales managers. Marketers generate interests. Technical support improves customer satisfaction. Developers create a functional that solves the problems of the same customers.

If one of the links in this chain is not working or is working poorly - sales will not be as high as you would like. Therefore, it must be remembered that, first, every employee in the company sells - from the director to the courier. And secondly, that the size of the premium of each must depend on the end result - the volume of sales.