The Curve That Made Sellers Stop at Target

What happens when a seller reaches target, still has strong opportunities in the pipeline, but the compensation plan gives them very little reason to keep going?In this episode of Sales Comp Decoded, Abimbola explores how payout curves shape behaviour at every stage of performance. Thresholds can create cliffs, accelerators can either pull sellers forward or sit too far out of reach, and caps can quietly tell top performers that additional effort is no longer worth it.The episode looks at why target should mark successful performance without becoming a stopping point, how flat sections and sharp payout jumps can influence deal timing, and why leadership should test what the next ten percent of performance is actually worth to both the seller and the business.A well-designed curve should motivate someone who is behind, reward the final push to target, and make continued overperformance worthwhile.Because when the next deal no longer feels valuable, the plan may be encouraging sellers to stop at exactly the moment the company wants them to continue.