How do I structure a sales comp plan from scratch?

Being handed a comp plan to design with no map is genuinely daunting, because you know people's livelihoods and behavior both ride on it. Feeling the weight of that is right. But you do not need to be an economist. You need to be clear about what you want people to do. Start from behavior, not formulas. Write down the two or three things a rep must do for the business to win. Then build the plan so doing those things is also how they earn the most. Keep it simple enough that a rep can explain their own plan back to you. A plan no one understands cannot motivate anyone. This week, write the one behavior that matters most, then draft the simplest possible way to pay for it. One number, one rule. You can add nuance later. A plain plan that points the right way beats a clever one that confuses everyone.