Twenty years later, here's where sales comp sits.
SPM was sold on better visibility, faster cycles and plans that move behavior. AI is the first real path to delivering it. We asked 86 sales compensation organizations how far they've gotten.
Download the full report: 2026 AI-Enabled Sales Compensation Organization Research
What 86 sales comp teams told us
Where their AI runs, who has a plan, what's working and what's in the way.
Question 1
Where does your AI actually run today?
The AI work is happening. It just isn't happening where the crediting, quota and payout data lives.
10%
Question 2
Do you have a defined AI strategy for sales comp?
84% have one, are building one or plan to within a year. Only 11% have one today.
11%
Question 3
How effective are your AI tools today?
Fewer than 1 in 4 teams call their AI tools highly effective, and quota tools trail the rest.
23%
Question 4
What is your biggest roadblock to building with AI?
The blockers aren't AI blockers. They're data, integration and time. Budget barely registers.
61%
Question 5
Where are you planning to focus AI next?
Content creation leads today. The next 12 months point to analytics, modeling and AI agents.
59%
The plan is what separates them
Companies with a defined AI strategy use more AI capabilities, and they get far more value from them.
| All respondents | Have a strategy | |
|---|---|---|
| Realize moderate to significant value in design and management | 56% | 91% |
| Use AI for analytics and modeling | 28% | 76% |
| Rate their design and management AI tools highly effective | 23% | 38% |
| Use AI inside their SPM platform | 10% | 18% |
Strategy holders are included in the all-respondent figures, so the real gap is wider than shown.
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