SDR SPIFF and contest ideas: five formats and four rules
Designing pay for your team? Module 6 of the SDR Programme Playbook is a comp plan module. Its calculator shows what a rep earns at each level of attainment. £29 + VAT.
A SPIFF is a short bonus for a specific result. A good one focuses effort for a few weeks. A bad one pushes reps to game the number.
Five formats
- Meeting sprint. A bonus for every rep who reaches a held-meeting target this week.
- Team goal. Everyone gets a bonus if the team hits a number. It builds help between reps.
- Quality bonus. Pay on meetings that become opportunities, not meetings booked.
- Pipeline day. A one-day push on a named list, with a small reward.
- Non-cash recognition. A shout-out, a day off or lunch with a senior leader.
Four rules
- Reward the result that matters, such as meetings held and accepted.
- Keep it short. Two to four weeks is enough.
- Publish the rules and the end date before you start.
- Make it winnable. A contest only one rep can win demotivates the others.
See inside
What can go wrong
- Reps book poor meetings to hit the number.
- The same rep wins every time.
- The bonus gets mistaken for part of normal pay.
Fix these by paying on accepted meetings and rotating the format.
Check it paid for itself
After the contest, compare the period with the weeks before it. Look at meetings held, opportunities created and the cost of the prizes. If opportunities did not rise, drop that format.
Keep the plan sound
A contest cannot fix a weak plan. Run the plan at 80%, 100% and 150% of quota first. See comp plan examples, accelerators and decelerators and the comp plan guide.
Next step: model the cost with the free SDR comp plan calculator.
Questions
What is a SPIFF in sales?
A short-term bonus for a specific result, such as meetings held in a week.
Do SPIFFs work for SDRs?
They can focus effort for a few weeks. They work best when they pay on accepted meetings. Give them clear rules and an end date.
How long should a SPIFF run?
Two to four weeks. Publish the rules and the end date before it starts.
Related guides
SDR comp plan examples
Five structures compared on one rep and the same months.
SDR accelerators and decelerators
How each works, with pay worked at 60%, 100% and 200% of quota.
SDR and BDR comp plans
OTE benchmarks for the UK, US and Europe, and how to design the plan.
Turn this into a programme you can run
Module 6 has a comp calculator that shows pay at each level of attainment. £29, one payment, plus VAT for UK and EU buyers.
Treat benchmarks as starting points. Tune them to your market, deal size and sales cycle. Every figure shows its source and year.