How far in advance should you communicate a comp plan change?

Give reps at least 30 days notice before a new plan takes effect. Ideally, start signaling that changes are coming 60 days out, share the plan details at 30 days, and conduct 1:1 walkthroughs in the final two weeks.

What should you do if a top performer pushes back hard on the new plan?

Listen first - their objections often reveal design flaws you missed. Run their last 12 months of deals through the new plan and show them the comparison. If they would have earned less under the new plan at the same performance level, you may need to adjust or offer a transition guarantee.

How to Roll Out a New Comp Plan Without a Revolt

You can design the most elegant comp plan in SaaS history, and it will still fail if you roll it out poorly. Comp plan launches are emotional events. Reps hear “we are changing your comp plan” and immediately think “they are cutting my pay.” Your job is to replace fear with clarity, and that requires a deliberate communication strategy - not just a Slack message and a PDF attachment.

The 60-Day Communication Timeline
Prepare Your FAQ Before They Ask
The 1:1 Walkthrough Template
Change Management Strategies That Work
Key Takeaways

The 60-Day Communication Timeline¶

A successful comp plan rollout follows a predictable cadence. Here is the timeline that works.

Timing	Action	Audience
T-60 days	Signal that changes are coming; explain the “why”	All-hands or sales team meeting
T-45 days	Share design principles with frontline managers	Sales leadership
T-30 days	Release the full plan document	All plan participants
T-14 days	Conduct 1:1 walkthroughs with every rep	Managers + individual reps
T-7 days	Host open office hours for remaining questions	All plan participants
T-0	Plan goes live; confirm acknowledgment signatures	All plan participants
T+30 days	Check-in survey and first payout under new plan	All plan participants

Critical rule: Never release a new comp plan the same day it takes effect. Surprise comp changes destroy trust faster than anything else in sales management.

Prepare Your FAQ Before They Ask¶

Reps will have the same ten questions every time. Write the answers before launch day:

Will I make less money under the new plan? Show modeled payouts at 80%, 100%, and 120% attainment under both old and new plans.
Why are you changing the plan? Connect changes to business strategy - not cost cutting.
What happens to deals I have in pipeline? Define clear transition rules for in-flight opportunities.
When do I get paid on the old plan vs. the new plan? Specify the cutover date and which deals fall under which plan.
Who do I talk to if I disagree? Provide a clear escalation path with names and timelines.

The 1:1 Walkthrough Template¶

Every rep should receive a personalized 1:1 with their manager. Here is the structure:

Opening (5 minutes): Acknowledge that change is hard. Explain the business context - why the company needs to evolve its comp approach.

Personalized Impact (10 minutes): Show the rep their last four quarters of performance run through the new plan. Use a side-by-side comparison:

Old plan payout at their actual attainment
New plan payout at the same attainment
New plan payout at 110% and 120% attainment

Mechanics Review (10 minutes): Walk through the plan document section by section. Pause at accelerators, crediting changes, and anything that is different from last year.

Questions and Concerns (5 minutes): Listen. Take notes. Do not dismiss objections - flag them for the RevOps team.

Change Management Strategies That Work¶

Use transition guarantees for high performers. If your top reps would earn less under the new plan at the same performance level, offer a one-quarter guarantee at their prior average earnings. This buys goodwill and gives the new plan time to prove itself.

Enlist managers as advocates, not messengers. Brief your frontline managers two weeks before the broader team. Give them talking points, the FAQ, and the modeled scenarios. If managers are surprised alongside their reps, you have lost credibility.

Provide a written plan document - always. Verbal explanations are not enough. Every rep needs a signed plan document that they can reference throughout the year. Include worked examples with real dollar amounts.

Gather feedback and act on it. Send a short survey at T+30 days. Ask three questions: Do you understand how your pay is calculated? Do you believe the plan is fair? What one thing would you change? If more than 20% of reps say they do not understand their plan, you have a communication problem to fix immediately.

Key Takeaways¶

Start communicating 60 days before a new plan takes effect - signal first, then detail
Prepare a written FAQ addressing the top five rep concerns before launch day
Conduct personalized 1:1 walkthroughs with side-by-side payout comparisons for every rep
Use transition guarantees for top performers who would earn less under the new structure