193 The Secrets Behind High-Performance Sales Compensation with Cal Habayeb
Tue Dec 09 2025
In this episode, Chris Kiefer sits down with Cal Habayeb, Sales Compensation Design & Strategy at Cloudflare, to unpack how smart compensation plans can drive real growth. They dive into Cal’s journey from finance and consulting into tech, how enterprise sales teams are structured, and why sales comp sits at the crossroads of finance, operations, and human behavior. Cal explains concepts like ARR, quota setting, attainment curves, and accelerators in plain language, and shares how good plans align incentives, manage performance, and reduce churn—without confusing reps or blowing up the budget. They also explore how AI is changing sales operations, from deal support and policy bots to future shifts in sales productivity and headcount.📢 Don’t just pay your sales team—design a system that drives the right behavior.
👉 Watch now, LISTEN , and FOLLOW for more conversations on building smarter businesses.📚 Book Recommendations:48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: CLICK HEREOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: CLICK HEREZero to One by Peter Thiel: CLICK HERE🎬 Movie Recommendations:There Will Be Blood Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson: CLICK HERETokyo Sonata Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa: CLICK HERE📩 Connect with Cal Habayeb:LinkedIn: Cal Habayeb - CLICK HERE🎥 North Idaho Film Festival: CLICK HERE
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In this episode, Chris Kiefer sits down with Cal Habayeb, Sales Compensation Design & Strategy at Cloudflare, to unpack how smart compensation plans can drive real growth. They dive into Cal’s journey from finance and consulting into tech, how enterprise sales teams are structured, and why sales comp sits at the crossroads of finance, operations, and human behavior. Cal explains concepts like ARR, quota setting, attainment curves, and accelerators in plain language, and shares how good plans align incentives, manage performance, and reduce churn—without confusing reps or blowing up the budget. They also explore how AI is changing sales operations, from deal support and policy bots to future shifts in sales productivity and headcount.📢 Don’t just pay your sales team—design a system that drives the right behavior. 👉 Watch now, LISTEN , and FOLLOW for more conversations on building smarter businesses.📚 Book Recommendations:48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: CLICK HEREOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: CLICK HEREZero to One by Peter Thiel: CLICK HERE🎬 Movie Recommendations:There Will Be Blood Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson: CLICK HERETokyo Sonata Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa: CLICK HERE📩 Connect with Cal Habayeb:LinkedIn: Cal Habayeb - CLICK HERE🎥 North Idaho Film Festival: CLICK HERE