Commissions et plans d'incitation essentiels que vous devez savoir utiliser pour réussir dans la vente à l'aide de Compass

Keeping your sales team motivated is no small feat. While many assume sales reps are only driven by money, the reality is that they, like all employees, seek purpose, recognition, and fairness in their work.

A well-designed sales incentive plan is one of the most powerful tools to inspire performance, retain top talent, and drive business growth.  

However, many companies struggle with ineffective incentive structures. Outdated processes, unclear rewards, and demotivating systems can lead to disengagement, turnover, and missed revenue opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll explore the essential building blocks of a successful sales incentive plan that your sales reps will love—and how Compass can help you simplify and optimize the process. 

Why incentivize and compensate the salespeople? 

Salespeople were paid by incentives for centuries before economists began writing about the principal-agent problem. Companies chose this system for at least three reasons. First, it’s easy to measure the short-term output of a salesperson.

Second, sales reps have traditionally worked with little supervision since incentive-based pay gives managers some control, making up for their inability to know if a rep is actually working or playing golf. Third, studies of personality type show that salespeople typically have a larger appetite for risk than other workers, so a pay plan that incentivizes this appeals to them. 

But why don’t most sales commission plans work? 

Many sales commission plans fail to deliver the desired results due to common pitfalls. Here are five reasons why: 

1. One-size-fits-all approach – Every sales team is different, yet many companies use the same commission structure for all sales reps. A customized plan tailored to different roles and goals leads to better performance. 
2. Compensation ratio is not optimized – If the balance between fixed salary and commission isn’t right, it can either demotivate sales reps or lead to unhealthy competition. Sales commission plans must be structured to encourage sustainable success. 
3. Payouts are consistently delayed – Timely commission payouts are crucial for keeping sales reps engaged. When payments are delayed, motivation drops, and trust in the system erodes. 
4. Only top performers are motivated – Many sales commissions plans only reward high achievers, leaving mid-level performers disengaged. A well-designed plan should incentivize all levels of sales reps to drive overall team success. 
5. No intermediate recognition – Small wins matter. Without intermediate rewards, sales reps may lose momentum before reaching big targets. Recognizing progress along the way keeps motivation high. 

A well-structured sales commission plan ensures fairness, clarity, and motivation, ultimately driving better sales results.  

Beyond a basic salary, organizations must explore additional ways to motivate their sales teams. Instead of relying solely on motivational speeches, implementing a structured incentive program can drive performance, enhance engagement, and align sales efforts with business goals. 

An effective commissions & incentive plan encourages positive behaviors, sets clear expectations, and ensures every sales team member contributes to individual, team, and organizational success.

However, the difference between incentive and commission is essential to understand—while commissions reward direct sales achievements, incentives can be structured around broader performance metrics.  

Now that you know the significance of incentive, and commission of the sales representatives, following are the commission-based incentive plans you must know. 

Types of commission-based incentive plans offered by Compass 

There should be an Incentive plan for every member of the sales team based on their organization, resources, goals, role, experience, length of the sales cycle, and the type of deals they engage in. Here are some other factors to consider while curating a program for the employees: 

1. Target-based incentives 

Target-based incentive plans focus on achieving predefined goals at different timeframes: 

• Daily targets: Encourages completion of specific objectives, such as sales volume or customer retention rates, to support long-term business growth. Assigning territories, setting quotas, and tracking daily achievements help drive consistency. 
• Short-term targets (weekly/fortnightly/monthly): Competitions offering rewards for meeting short-term goals—such as a prize for top-performing reps at the end of a week or month—create excitement and drive immediate results. 
• Long-tenure targets (quarterly/yearly): Long-term incentives, like work trips or milestone bonuses, recognize sustained high performance and contribute to long-term revenue growth. 

2. Competition-based incentives 

Sales contests foster a healthy competitive environment while aligning with business goals. There are three primary types: 

• Direct competition: Sales reps compete against each other, with a single winner based on performance. 
• Team competition: Groups work together to achieve collective goals, fostering teamwork and collaboration. 
• Goal-based competitions: Sales teams or individuals earn rewards for meeting specific performance milestones, such as increasing revenue during peak seasons. 

3. Cascading programs 

These programs ensure that all sales reps, regardless of performance levels, have a structured pathway to improvement: 

• High performer programs: Designed for top-tier salespeople, providing exclusive rewards and ensuring they stay motivated. 
• Programs for tail-end performers (PIP programs): Performance improvement plans outline clear goals, growth metrics, and strategies to help struggling sales reps enhance their productivity. 

4. Special incentive schemes 

To maximize motivation, businesses should offer diverse commission-based incentive plans that cater to different performance levels and strategic goals: 

• Specific KPI-based programs: Specific KPI (Key Performance Indicators) -based Programs help set award rules and to analyze the success of your program. You can integrate your channel incentive program with your other business platforms to streamline admin and improve user experience. 
• Seasonal programs: Limited-time bonuses and rewards during peak sales periods (e.g., Black Friday, holiday sales) encourage aggressive sales efforts. 
• Opportunistic programs (stock clearance incentives): Short-term contests designed to push excess inventory or maximize end-of-quarter sales. 
• Special incentive scheme: Employers can offer a combination of incentives based on sales numbers, productivity and other predetermined standards depending on their business goals. 

This program includes all possible types of Incentives schemes. 

Incentive-based schemes available on Compass 

Ces concours de vente sont des moyens d'inciter vos vendeurs à être plus performants. Ces tactiques sont souvent utilisées pour changer les comportements et peuvent être monétaires (par exemple, un prix de 500 $ pour le premier représentant qui conclut 10 affaires pour un certain produit) ou non monétaires (un bon dîner pour chaque équipe qui augmente son taux de fidélisation du pourcentage de référence). 

1. Sales performance incentive funds (SPIFs) 

Un FPS est généralement une incitation à la vente à court terme utilisée pour obtenir des résultats immédiats. Les FPS sont souvent pris en compte dans la planification des rémunérations, mais ne sont pas toujours planifiés. Il s'agit plutôt d'incitations spontanées qui stimulent les performances et les ventes sur une courte période. 

Lorsque les responsables des ventes décident de mettre en œuvre un SPIF, ils choisissent une gamme de produits ou de services particulière sur laquelle se concentrer. Il peut s'agir de donner un élan aux ventes ou d'accroître les opportunités sur le marché. Ces programmes de vente doivent être menés à bien dans un délai déterminé. 

2. Channel Incentive & Loyalty Program 

Channel partners are an intrinsic constituent of the distribution strategy for a brand. We can help design, implement and manage incentive & loyalty programs for distributors, wholesalers, Stuckists, retailers and key influencers. These programs not only help to increase sales but also create the right environment upon which to build meaningful and mutually profitable partnerships. 

3. Behavior-based rewards 

Les récompenses basées sur le comportement sont utilisées pour motiver les vendeurs à réaliser davantage d'activités particulières - comme l'augmentation du nombre de réunions avec les clients, de documents de vente, etc. 

4. Influencer Loyalty Program 

La plupart des produits suivent un parcours à plusieurs niveaux pour arriver sur le marché, d'où l'importance des influenceurs pour faire passer le produit à l'étape suivante et aboutir à une vente. Notre premier objectif est donc de comprendre quelles sont les préférences de ces influenceurs et ce qui les pousse à choisir un produit. Ce programme fait la différence dans le processus de prise de décision des influenceurs et garantit que votre produit reste en tête de liste. 

5. Non-monetary incentives 

Les jours de tenue décontractée, les possibilités de collation, les horaires flexibles, etc. sont souvent moins coûteux à mettre en œuvre, mais peuvent néanmoins avoir un impact important sur le moral des employés. Ou encore, dans le cas d'une équipe, ce serait un bon dîner ou une sortie d'équipe pour chaque équipe qui augmenterait leur taux de rétention du pourcentage de référence. 

6. On-target earnings (OTE) 

Il permet aux vendeurs d'avoir une vision réaliste de ce que serait leur rémunération totale pour un poste lorsque les objectifs et les quotas attendus et raisonnables sont atteints. L'OTE comprend le salaire de base et la commission réaliste résultant des affaires conclues. 

Sales commissions schemes available on Compass 

A sales commission is additional compensation that the salespersons receive for meeting and exceeding the minimum sales threshold. These are generally given to incentivize salespeople to sell more and recognize great sales achievement. 

1. First-year commission and renewal commissions 

A first-year commission is a fee an insurance agent gets paid for selling a new policy. This payment is generally a percentage of the first year of premiums the policyholder pays on the new policy. On contrary, renewal commissions, are paid during the second and subsequent years of the policy. 

2. Quarterly performance bonus 

Une prime trimestrielle est une étape populaire dans la réalisation des objectifs annuels et constitue un excellent moyen d'encourager le travail supplémentaire et de permettre à l'équipe de vente d'atteindre plus facilement son objectif. Ces objectifs doivent être réalistes et stimulants, tout en s'inscrivant dans la stratégie de l'entreprise. 

3. Annual performance bonus 

Une prime de performance est généralement une rémunération supplémentaire versée au vendeur pour le récompenser d'avoir atteint ou dépassé ses objectifs prédéterminés. Ce type de prime va au-delà du salaire normal et de la commission et est accordée sur le long terme pour des performances prolongées et régulières. 

4. International /domestic conventions for Top Performers 

Les grandes équipes de vente organisent même des concours qui récompensent les meilleurs vendeurs par un voyage à une convention internationale ou nationale entièrement sponsorisée. Ces récompenses sont perçues comme une motivation pour les vendeurs de se classer parmi les meilleurs de leurs pairs. 

How you compensate and incentivize is just as important as what you compensate. If your employees don’t love your incentive plan, it won’t matter how much you pay them – they’ll never feel valued. 

Three things your sales rep expect in their incentive plan 

Here are three things that your sales reps love in an incentive plan. 

1. Un plan d'incitation simple et facile à suivre 

If your incentive plan is not transparent and causes confusion, accurate numbers won’t matter because your sales reps still won’t know if they’re being appropriately rewarded.

The plan must be “easy” in all ways: easy to use, easy to understand, and completely transparent. That way, your sales reps can focus on selling instead of calculating incentives. 

2. Récompenser et motiver les travailleurs intermédiaires 

Middlers represent the most underutilized capital in business. And they are proof that sometimes, the gold we are chasing sits right under our noses. While some sales reps will excel at closing billion-dollar deals, others will sell your best products, while others still might be the best at managing client relations. If you want your sales reps to love your incentive plan, you need to find a way to reward all types of salespeople, fairly. 

3. Offrir des récompenses significatives 

When you calculate incentives on Excel spreadsheets, you get the final incentive value. But there is no way you can automate it to release payments.

More often than not, organizations either give out cash vouchers, which are difficult to administer and transfer to the correct rep, or brand vouchers which may not be really relevant for all sales reps. 

Simplify complex incentive plans with Compass 

Compass can simplify the most complex incentive plans and help you build a plan that your sales reps love. Compass lets you integrate and stream data from your CRMs and just relax! We’ve built a system that you can deploy from get-go, with easy-to-publish game templates, auto-calculation to avoid errors and accessible insights. And of course, our implementation engineers are always there to back you up. See how Compass can simplify your sales incentives. 

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Best practices for sales compensation and incentive plans 

A well-structured sales compensation plan not only motivates sales teams but also aligns their efforts with business goals. Here are key best practices to consider when designing a sales commission and incentive plan that drives performance and engagement. 

1. Balance base salary and incentives 

Determine the right pay mix ratio by weighing base salary against variable incentives. For short sales cycles, a commission-heavy structure works best, while longer cycles may require a higher base for stability. Aligning this balance with your sales strategy ensures sustained motivation. 

2. Set clear and attainable goals 

Define realistic, data-backed sales targets that drive effort without overwhelming your team. Aligning sales incentives with strategic objectives fosters motivation while keeping goals achievable. Regular feedback and recognition further reinforce progress. 

3. Avoid commission caps 

Top performers should have unlimited earning potential. Removing commission ceilings ensures continuous effort and rewards high achievers, leading to increased sales and overall business growth. 

4. Offrir des récompenses significatives 

Beyond monetary incentives, personalized rewards—such as career development opportunities or exclusive perks—enhance motivation. A well-designed incentive compensation plan caters to both financial and intrinsic motivators. 

5. Align rewards with role complexity 

Different sales roles require tailored compensation structures. Consider factors like deal size, sales cycle length, and client complexity when designing commission-based incentive plans to ensure fairness and effectiveness. 

6. Reinforce the right sales behaviors 

Encourage long-term success by rewarding activities beyond immediate sales, such as relationship-building and market expansion. Training, mentorship, and structured incentives help shape a high-performance sales culture. 

7. Communicate and review regularly 

A transparent sales compensation plan prevents confusion and ensures alignment with business objectives. Regularly review and adjust plans based on market shifts, team feedback, and evolving sales strategies. 

The application of these best practices can be seen in the luxury auto brand company.  

Conclusion 

Setting up a strong sales compensation and incentive plan is more than just about paying your team—it's about creating an environment where everyone is motivated to achieve their best.

You encourage hard work and smart work by establishing a balanced pay mix, setting attainable goals, offering unlimited earning potential, and providing meaningful rewards.  

N'oubliez pas que l'adéquation entre les récompenses et le travail et la promotion des bons comportements de vente sont des éléments clés de la réussite. En outre, ne sous-estimez jamais le pouvoir d'une communication claire et de contrôles réguliers ; ils permettent à chacun de rester aligné et de se concentrer sur des objectifs communs. Mettez en œuvre ces sept bonnes pratiques et vous serez sur la bonne voie pour constituer une équipe de vente motivée et performante. 

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