From Sales Rep to Comp Manager: A Q&A with Tyler Koral
Tyler Koral, is the Sales Commissions Manager at the global biotech leader, Illumina. In this interview, Tyler shares his unique journey from sales to analytics and compensation management. He discusses what makes a great analyst, the importance of empathy in a numbers-driven role, and how he builds a foundation of trust with his sales team. He also offers invaluable advice for those starting in the field and tells the compelling story of how his team turned a challenging situation into a "significant partnership that matters” with Xactly.
Q: Please introduce yourself and your role.
A: Tyler Koral is the Sales Commissions Manager at Illumina, a biotech company out of San Diego that works on genomic sequencing technology. He's been there for about three years, and his team of analysts supports around 700 sales reps all over the world.
Q: What do you love about sales compensation?
A: For Tyler, it's all about the people. He genuinely loves working with sales reps—teaching them, empowering them, and building trust. On top of that, he's a self-proclaimed "nerd" who is super passionate about numbers and math.
Q: What are you proud of in your compensation career?
A: Tyler is proud of his knack for analytics and using data to tell a compelling story. He didn't start in compensation but grew to love it after a stint in sales operations. Because he was once a salesperson himself, he feels he can really relate to the reps' experiences, and that pushes him to give them the best support he can.
Q: What makes a sales comp analyst role unique?
A: Tyler thinks what really sets an analyst apart is being a "people person." A lot of analysts are just number crunchers, but since he came from a sales background, he knows how to "speak sales." This skill helps him break down complex info in a way that reps can understand, which is key for building that all-important trust.
Q: What do you love about your partnership with Xactly?
A: What Tyler loves about Xactly is that it feels like a real partnership, not just a business deal. The relationships he's built are meaningful, and he feels like his team's needs are actually heard and valued. He says Xactly's willingness to listen and create custom solutions has been a total "game changer" for them.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to someone starting in your role?
A: His biggest piece of advice is to just be patient and consistent. He tells his team that being reliable and accountable is everything. You won't always have the right answer immediately, but if you keep setting expectations and communicating, you'll build trust. He also gives a huge shout-out to Xactly University, calling it an underutilized "game changer" for taking your skills from "good to great to beyond."
Q: What do you love about working with Xactly?
A: Tyler shares that his company was actually on the verge of leaving Xactly because they were having so many problems. But after working with the Xactly team, they figured out the issues were on their end—they just weren't using the tool correctly. Once they got the system set up right, it "changed everything." Now, they're completely sold on the partnership and he's excited to sign on for another three years because he feels truly valued.
Please note: The questions and answers above have been edited and condensed for clarity and reading ease. To hear Tyler Koral tell his full story in his own words, with even more detail and context, be sure to watch the complete video interview.