The best incentive compensation plans share a few things in common. They're stimulating, fair, and easy to understand. Yet, it's not so simple when designing and developing effective incentive plans. There are multiple factors that sales management and compensation program leaders need to consider. It can also be difficult to ensure that all considerations are addressed appropriately.

This is because there are many different approaches to commission plan design, each with strengths and limitations. There is no "right approach" for all companies due to differences in the role’s objectives, obligations, and internal ability to track and evaluate sales team results efficiently.

If you want to design an incentive plan for your Sales Development Reps (SDRs) that will motivate them to grow revenue, there are four core steps you want to take to determine the most suitable approach.

In our latest white paper on SDR compensation, you’ll learn:

• The five core elements of plan design decision-making
• Constraints you need to consider to ensure the incentive plan doesn’t get in the way of allocating your best resources to where they are most needed
• Alternative compensation approaches based on how well SDRs align with role goals, responsibilities, and constraints

We share some highlights from our whitepaper below, but make sure you download the resource to get the full picture and whip your SDR comp plan into shape. 

Why Good, Structured SDR Compensation Matters

Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) are the frontline of your sales organization, qualifying leads and ensuring your sales reps focus on the most promising opportunities. Yet many companies overlook the importance of a well-structured compensation plan, leaving talented SDRs with no other option but to pursue greener pastures.

A thoughtful SDR compensation structure does more than just pay the bills — it helps you retain top talent and drives better performance. The right mix of base salary and variable compensation keeps SDRs motivated while providing the stability they need to grow in their roles. When SDRs can clearly see how their efforts translate to earnings, they're more likely to stay engaged and continue improving.

Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) tools make it easier to create and manage effective SDR pay structures. They give SDRs real-time visibility into their earnings, help them track progress toward goals, and provide the transparency needed to build trust. For sales leaders, this means less time grappling with spreadsheets and more time developing their team's success.

"As an SDR, transparency and trust in my commission payouts is of the utmost importance. Not only in planning my personal finances, but considering the longevity in the company I work for. CaptivateIQ makes that something I don't have to think about." — Daniel L., Enterprise Computer Software Company

Main Components of an SDR Compensation Plan

There’s more to an SDR compensation plan than documenting what each rep will be paid. A proper plan sets clear, realistic goals and a strategy for ensuring SDRs get paid appropriately. Most plans include the following components, which can be set up, tracked, and managed using an ICM tool: 

Role Definition

What does an SDR do? While all generate leads, the work they do to generate those leads can vary. They may research, vet, and segment lists. Some also set appointments and make first touches with potential customers as part of their job scope. Since SDRs have a wide range of responsibilities, sales leaders need to define these expectations before creating an effective sales compensation plan.

Then, managers must decide which actions trigger commissions. Ultimately, you may decide to issue commissions based solely on closed sales, but other actions may earn bonuses or Sales Performance Incentive Funds (SPIFFs) beyond the standard commission.

Pay Mix

SDR compensation generally includes a base salary along with incentives (bonuses, commissions, SPIFFs). Base salaries tend not to be too high to discourage sales or too low to not be competitive in the job market. As shared in our downloadable guide, a 40/60 split of salary to commission is the industry standard, but you can assess what works best for your teams and adjust as needed. 

Performance Measures

You need to track the right performance metrics in order to know how your SDRs contribute to overall success (an important piece of knowledge if you want to pay them correctly). 

KPIs to track include qualified appointments, closed deals, conversion rate, and CRM hygiene (the maintenance and care of your customer database). The right tool will collect all relevant data and automate reporting, simplifying performance tracking. You’ll also want to avoid tying too many benchmarks to plan compensation, even if you do track almost everything—our findings show that two to three is ideal.

Common Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)

Even experienced sales leaders face challenges when designing and implementing SDR comp plans. Without the right approach, compensation structures can actually work against your goals.

Let's explore these common challenges and, more importantly, how to solve them with the right combination of strategy and tools:

Misaligned Incentives

When an incentive plan doesn’t reward the right behavior, it can cause SDRs to fail to hit their goals — or even leave the company altogether. This out-of-sync compensation can be referred to as “misalignment.” 

Symptoms include:

• Reps who prioritize quantity over quality. This leads to an increased number of poorly-qualified leads instead of high-ticket deals. 
• Activity-based incentives that keep SDRs busy but don’t increase appointments or sales volume.
• Outcome-based compensation plans that reward SDRs for things out of their control. For example, basing SDR compensation on closed deals rather than qualified meetings. Since SDRs only handle initial prospecting and hand-offs to Account Executives, they have no influence over whether deals eventually close.

Poor Lead Quality

A common challenge is ensuring that SDRs consistently deliver high-quality leads with genuine potential to convert. When compensation plans focus solely on quantity metrics (like the number of leads passed), SDRs might rush through qualification just to hit their numbers. 

The challenge is compounded by the difficulty in measuring lead quality itself. How do you know if an SDR has thoroughly researched a prospect, asked the right qualifying questions, or exhausted all possibilities before disqualifying a lead? Without clear quality metrics tied to compensation, SDRs might prioritize volume over thorough qualification, ultimately hurting the sales team's efficiency and success rate.

Uneven Performance

Finally, SDRs may struggle to keep sales pipelines full, especially with products with long lead times. They may stay busy but fail to see how individual actions contribute to sales down the road. 

If they see a bump in commissions, it may signal that they’re doing well and don’t need to work as hard to earn what they want. Likewise, if closings dwindle, they may rush to produce leads without fully qualifying them. The lag between their efforts and the deal closing can promote uneven performance and frustrate even the best SDRs.

The Solution

All three of these issues can be resolved with the right technology and compensation mindset. 

Start by configuring a mix of activity and outcome-based incentives that reward SDRs for things within their realm of influence and encourage them to work smarter, not harder. Set clear eligibility criteria for what meetings are considered qualified opportunities for SDR commission, and use an effective crediting system (typically through an ICM) that clearly shows reps how their incentives were earned, calculated, and paid out relative to the number of meetings.

If you want to learn more in-depth ways to overcome these challenges, make sure you download our whitepaper.

How CaptivateIQ Simplifies SDR Compensation

CaptivateIQ automates the trickiest parts of creating an SDR comp plan, and once it’s in place, you can monitor your reps’ performance and adjust your plan on the fly to reward the right behaviors.

Plus, SDRs love using it. Reps enjoy the chance to view earnings well before payday so they can verify accuracy and submit changes in time. This level of transparency motivates them to continue working hard while trusting they’ll get credit for all they contributed to the sales pipeline. 

"I love the fact that I can double-check my commission check before the end of the month to make sure it's accurate. It also allows you to audit and request changes to your payment. It is also fun to see how much will be hitting your bank account each week." — Nathan W., Mid-Market Computer Software Company

Ready to start rewarding your SDRs the right way? 

Download the guide or see CaptivateIQ in action today!

SDR Compensation FAQs

How Do I Design an SDR Compensation Plan?

Start by defining the base salary and variable pay split for your SDRs, such as a 40% base salary plus 60% variable compensation with tiered commissions. 

Next, establish measurable performance metrics that align with your sales goals. Finally, implement a system to track and manage these metrics transparently. Compensation management platforms like CaptivateIQ automate calculations, provide real-time visibility into earnings, and allow for quick adjustments as your business needs evolve. 

What is a Common Pay Mix For SDRs?

The most popular pay mix is the 40/60 ratio. In this plan, SDRs get 40% of their earnings from base salary and 60% from commissions.

What Performance Metrics Should SDR Compensation Plans Focus On?

Although you should stick to no more than three, any measurable KPIs that can be tied to sales should be considered for an SDR compensation plan. They include qualified leads, converted leads, the value of sales from SDR leads, CRM hygiene, and bounty by product.  

Should SDRs Earn Commissions or Bonuses?

Most SDR compensation plans feature a mix of base salary, commissions, and bonuses. Sales leaders should aim to reward reps for their sales work while paying them enough of a base salary to keep them from leaving for more competitive opportunities. 

Commissions can be a percentage of sales, while bonuses are flat fees for activities like closing new accounts or increasing average ticket size.