Article · 12 min read

The Ultimate Guide to Spiff Sales Incentives

Everstage Free Intermediate

Honest about the failure modes, sandbagging in anticipation of the next SPIFF, budget creep, and erosion of intrinsic motivation, plus the spacing discipline (one major program a quarter) that keeps them working.

  • Run a major SPIFF once a quarter at most, and space smaller pushes 2 to 4 weeks apart.
  • Budget 5 to 10 percent of the expected revenue lift as the incentive pot.
  • Tie a SPIFF to speed (close within 7 to 10 days) when the goal is a shorter sales cycle.
  • Mix cash with recognition-based rewards so the program does not go stale.
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It answers 2 questions

  1. Do SPIFFs work, or do they just teach the team to wait for the next one?
  2. My comp plan is being gamed. How do I find it and fix it mid-year?

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