What Are Commission Accelerators?

A standard plan pays one rate on all output. An accelerated plan splits output into tiers: the first tier pays the base rate up to quota, and each tier above it pays a higher rate. The structure comes in two forms. A marginal accelerator applies the higher rate only to output beyond the threshold. A retroactive one reprices everything the rep produced in the period once the threshold is crossed, which costs far more and creates a sharp cliff at the line.

For SDR teams the output unit is usually held meetings or accepted opportunities rather than revenue, since closing belongs to the account executive. Accelerators work best when the rep controls the volume. If list quality, lead supply, or a shared dialer caps what any rep can produce, an accelerator pays for luck, and reps who hit the cap early have no reason to keep going. Managers can add a decelerator below a floor, or a ceiling on total payout, so cost stays predictable.

The common mistake is setting quota too low and then attaching an accelerator to it, so the company pays premium rates for ordinary work. The opposite mistake is a quota so high that the accelerator never triggers and motivates nobody. Watch for sandbagging too: a rep who cannot reach the threshold this period may hold meetings back so they count toward a fresh tier next period.