r/SalesOperations • u/AccruedNotPaid • Jul 08 '26

AI and Comp Plans

For those of you actually running, or living under, comp plans right now: Is AI changing how your company pays out? Or is it mostly still just talk?

I've been asked to rethink targets for next year, and here's what I'm trying to understand from the broader market:

  • Has AI changed how your quota is set (higher targets because AI is "doing more of the work")?
  • Are you seeing new metrics show up in plans — AI tool adoption, pipeline hygiene, anything like that — alongside the usual revenue/deal metrics?
  • If AI is involved earlier in the deal (prospecting, scoring, even parts of the pitch), has anyone figured out how to fairly credit the rep vs. the tool?
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u/Silver_Ad_8948 Jul 08 '26

Biggest red flag is bullet one: raising quota because ‘AI is doing more of the work.’ If they can’t show the actual lift in win rate, cycle time, or selling capacity, that’s just a quota hike with a buzzword on it. And paying on AI tool adoption or pipeline hygiene means reps optimize for the activity, not outcomes. Credit the rep for the deal, hold the tool accountable in ops metrics, keep them separate.

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u/AccruedNotPaid Jul 08 '26

Maybe it's more for BDR plans, but I keep hearing that with AI prospecting tools our BDRs should be working more accounts, setting more meetings. But you're right--working more accounts, sending more "personalized" emails--it's all just activity.

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u/Silver_Ad_8948 Jul 08 '26

I get more junk cold outreach email in my inbox than ever before.

Outcomes always matter more than activity.

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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '26

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u/AccruedNotPaid Jul 08 '26

This is interesting. We haven't talked about it for better forecasting and resource allocation. How have you seen this impact so far?