Your guide to getting AEs to self-prospect (finally)

This episode explores the challenges of motivating Account Executives (AEs) to engage in self-prospecting, a practice desired by CEOs but often resisted by AEs. Against the backdrop of increasing AI in sales, the hosts discuss the failed promise of AI replacing SDRs and the persistent need for AEs to generate their own leads. More significantly, the conversation pivots to practical incentive strategies to encourage self-prospecting, such as offering higher commission rates for self-sourced deals or quota relief. For instance, they suggest a bonus structure tied to pipeline generation rather than solely on closed deals, incentivizing consistent lead generation. Furthermore, team-based incentives are explored, fostering collaboration between AEs and SDRs to share leads and rewards. The hosts also discuss testing incentive structures, emphasizing the importance of starting with positive incentives before introducing negative consequences for failing to meet self-prospecting targets. Ultimately, the episode highlights the importance of finding creative and compelling incentives to motivate AEs to engage in self-prospecting, ultimately improving sales efficiency and profitability.