Evolve or Fall Behind: Handling Sales Comp in an AI-led world
AI isn’t coming for sales compensation.
It’s already here 💡
In this edition’s In Depth, we unpack key insights from Evolv ‘25, discovering the mindset shifts, strategies, and trends that are reshaping the way sales compensation leaders think to thrive in the AI era.
Read the full breakdown in the In Depth section 👇
Happy reading!
In Depth 🔍
Evolve or Fall Behind: Handling Sales Comp in an AI-led world
Why Evolv ‘25?
We didn’t choose Evolv to happen randomly. Here’s why we chose 2025 (as explained by Siva Rajamani, our CEO & Co-Founder, during the keynote address):
CFOs are starting to want proof
There’s an increased focus on business efficiency. CFOs are demanding ROI analysis on every dollar spent, and that’s showing up on sales compensation as well.
AI is getting smarter & stronger every day
AI is taking over a lot of the tactical busywork. More than 50% of your time could now be handled by AI. Teams need to start thinking about how to eliminate this busywork, because AI is moving too fast.
Pricing models are also evolving
Many companies are thinking of or moving to usage-based pricing. This opens up a ton of complexity that sales compensation professionals need to manage and solve within a short timeframe.
Evolution is inevitable, especially in the AI decade.
And this was the crux of our first session, Evolve or Fall Behind: Sales Compensation in an AI Decade, featuring 2 seasoned sales comp experts: Leo Rocha and Elizabeth Spellman Hall.
Here’s a detailed summary of their conversation:
How are you staying on top of planning in 2025 with rapidly changing market dynamics?
Leo’s approach centers on speed and agility. To improve comp modeling and identify previously unseen risks, he aims to shorten planning cycles to stay ahead of trends and embrace AI & automation. His philosophy is simple: deliver more, better, and faster.
Elizabeth’s focus lies on constant evolution & strategic positioning. She advises to stop running behind “the big boulder” (AI) coming at us, rather, use it for making data-driven decisions through insight dashboards and for documentation. This would free up time for strategic consultation.
The winning approach would be a combination of the two: use AI to accelerate automating the tactical so that you focus on the strategic. If you nail this balance, you’ll be two steps ahead of competitors still arguing about whether AI is friend or foe.
Which of the biggest sales comp “golden children”, i.e., traditional practices did you have to abandon?
Elizabeth made 3 key sacrifices to prioritize sustainable growth:
Abandon the “growth-at-all-costs” mentality
Put more emphasis on retention, i.e., keeping & growing existing customers sustainably
Question whether paying for contract value upfront truly rewards salespeople for the long-term sustainable value they bring to the organization
Leo observes a similar philosophical shift in his industry, where they’re moving beyond just paying for initial placements to measuring the lifetime value of providers. The focus has now expanded from individual transactions to the full lifecycle of relationships.
This evolution makes perfect sense, and is long overdue. Both these veterans are recognizing what the best revenue teams have known for years: optimizing for short-term metrics destroys long-term value. This shift from transaction-based to relationship-based compensation models reflects the true purpose of incentives: being aligned with actual business outcomes. Following this approach will help you build more predictable revenue engines.
How are you planning to stay on trend with AI? What’s the human element that’s becoming more important as AI automates the workflows?
Leo’s approach treats AI as an extension of their team rather than a replacement. He encourages using AI for comp modeling, running scenarios, and documentation, while recognizing that the human element remains crucial for applying judgment to real-world problems.
On the other hand, Elizabeth frames sales compensation as an art and a science, where AI handles the science and humans handle the art. She highlights that different company cultures require different approaches, and fundamentally understanding what motivates your sales reps is key.
The two have nailed the fundamental truth about AI in RevOps: it’s a force multiplier, not a replacement. The companies winning with AI aren’t the ones automating everything, they’re the ones using AI to eliminate busywork so that their best people can focus on what humans do the best: understanding motivation, reading organizational dynamics, and crafting strategies.
A perfect example of this is the AI workflow we’d spoken about in the previous edition, that helped us extract actionable insights within 30 seconds after a sales call ends.
What’s the biggest mindset shift sales comp professionals need to make in order to succeed in the next decade?
Leo stresses the importance of the mindset shift from anxiety to ownership, i.e., don’t be owned by AI, own it. He encourages sales comp professionals to think of themselves as “agents of change”, rather than stuck in administrative roles. His core philosophy is simple: resisting automation is a losing game.
Elizabeth highlights curiosity as the catalyst for transformation. She sees AI as a tool that helps us ask different questions, explore new avenues, and spot trends and patterns that weren’t previously evident. Teams can now shift from managing the day-to-day ops to actively helping businesses evolve and grow.
These mindset shifts are exactly what separates thriving teams from struggling ones. Leaders who frame AI as an opportunity rather than a threat to their job security are the architects of successful revenue engines. AI doesn’t diminish the importance of revenue professionals, it amplifies their potential. The teams that embrace this shift will become indispensable strategic partners.
3 main things to keep in mind for 2026 planning
Leo recommends on building adaptive, business-aligned compensation strategies:
Design for adaptability rather than stability, planning for change and building flexibility to respond faster
Focus on what good revenue looks like, incentivizing deals that drive sustainable growth rather than chasing growth for growth’s sake.
Become fluent in your business, understanding not just the “how” but the “why” behind compensation strategies.
Elizabeth’s approach, on the other hand, focuses on proactive execution and stakeholder alignment:
Start your planning early, and don’t be afraid to make changes if it’s the right thing to do
Come to the table with data-driven insights and recommendations, as data gives you a seat at the table
Align your stakeholders because you want everyone rowing in the same direction in case of major changes
These recommendations perfectly capture the evolution of sales compensation from reactive to strategic. You need to transcend from being process managers to becoming business partners. And the combination of adaptability, data-driven insights, and early stakeholder engagement is the playbook for revenue teams to drive growth.
Working on revamping your comp plans for 2026? We’ve worked on a skimmable guide outlining the key components to consider while building (or rebuilding) your incentives.
Closing Thought
As sales comp professionals, you need to:
Embrace AI as a partner while maintaining your strategic human judgment
Focus on sustainable revenue over growth-at-all-costs
Design flexible systems that can adapt to rapid market changes
You can catch the full conversation here
That’s it for this edition of Closing Thoughts. See you next time!
Everstage’s Corner ✨
Uncappd Advisory Board
Siva Rajamani, our CEO & Co-Founder, unveiled the Uncappd Advisory Board, a panel of 5 sales compensation leaders that’ll help the community in terms of guidance on sales compensation planning, strategy, and other key focus areas.
Here are the 5 board members:
Vincent DaCosta
Director, Global Sales Comp Strategy at Databricks
Seasoned sales performance & compensation strategist with 14+ years leading complex multimillion incentive programs
Leo Rocha
Senior Director, Compensation at CHG Healthcare
Senior compensation strategist with almost 2 decades of experience designing sales incentives & rewards programs
Matthew Flotard
VP, Global Finance and Sales Incentives at Celonis
Compensation leader blending his finance discipline with GTM strategy to craft data-driven quotas, incentive frameworks, and AI-powered commercial playbooks
Angelina Chiesa
Sales Incentive Manager at Chamberlain Group
Finance analyst turned compensation strategist, channeling a decade of analytical experience into transparent, performance-driven compensation frameworks.
Travis Anderson
Director of Worldwide Sales Commissions at Rubrik
Sales commission director at Rubrik who readied the team for NYSE listing and now orchestrates compensation for 200+ sellers across 80+ plans.
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