A sales compensation plan can look great on paper—and still miss the mark in practice.
In 2026, comp plans need to do more than “pay people for revenue.” They need to drive the right behavior, keep incentive spend predictable, and stay simple enough that reps actually trust the math.
The problem? Most teams only track a couple of surface-level signals (like quota attainment) and miss the deeper indicators that show whether a plan is truly working—things like commission exception rate, deal quality, and forecast-to-payout variance.
That’s why we put together a practical guide to the 10 metrics that matter most for measuring sales compensation plan effectiveness—including what each metric tells you, what “good” looks like, and what to do when performance trends start flashing red.
We found this article to provide great insights about what to measure to ensure your comp plan is effective: 10 Metrics to Measure Sales Compensation Plan Effectiveness in 2026
If you’re planning comp changes this year—or trying to debug unexpected payout results—these metrics will help you confidently answer the question: Is our plan actually doing its job?
