Dive into the catastrophic consequences of poorly designed sales incentive plans in this revealing podcast. We explore real-world corporate failures where incentive structures backfired, leading to significant financial, legal, reputational, and operational repercussions.

Discover how misaligned targets, excessive complexity, and a focus on short-term gains fostered unethical behavior and systemic dysfunction. This series examines notorious cases such as:

• Wells Fargo's cross-selling fraud, driven by "onerous sales goals" and immense pressure on employees to open millions of unauthorized accounts.
• Enron's systemic deception, where executive compensation tied to inflated stock prices fueled fraudulent accounting practices.
• Sears' "bait-and-switch" tactics, encouraged by a compensation policy that rewarded selling higher-priced items while discouraging advertised low-priced models.
• The backlash faced by Chanel and Vodafone after altering or removing sales commissions, leading to employee frustration, lost income, and legal challenges.
• GlaxoSmithKline's bribery scandal in China, where incentives encouraged sales representatives to bribe doctors.
• Countrywide Financial's role in the subprime mortgage crisis, driven by incentives for risky loan products.
• Purdue Pharma's contribution to the opioid crisis, influenced by a bonus system that incentivized higher OxyContin prescriptions.

Learn crucial lessons on designing effective, ethical, and sustainable incentive programs that balance financial motivation with intrinsic drivers, ensuring strategic alignment, transparency, and robust governance to prevent future failures and foster long-term success.