SaaStr

JANUARY 13, 2023

Dear SaaStr: How Do You Handle Commissions if the Customer Auto-Upgrades for More Seats? This will frustrate you, especially if the upgrade is from customer success, or is simply automated. If the upsells are super easy, and the reps don’t have to do much, rather than take away the commission … think about increasing the quotas.

Commission 107

Commission Customers Quota Follow-up 107

Understanding the Sales Force

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

The report says, “87% reported that their sales teams were having difficulty meeting or exceeding quota.” It also reinforces a culture of mediocrity because when not hitting quota is normal and expected, more people don’t hit quota because their jobs are clearly not in jeopardy.

Quota 88

Quota Commission Sales Represent 88

Sales Gravy

MARCH 18, 2025

Improved Onboarding Speed Companies that mix early pipeline-building with supported team selling often see new hires reach quota faster sometimes shaving weeks or months off the usual ramp-up. Encourage Hand-Raises If a new rep snags an interested customer, let them wave the flag: Hey, I have a lead who needs home and auto coverage.

Cold Call 74

Cold Call Commission Appointment Pipeline 74

Partners in Excellence

APRIL 24, 2023

When I read my feeds or listen to a lot of “experts,” the focus is always on hitting our quotas, maxing our commissions, achieving our goals. One imagines a sword of Damocles hanging over seller’s heads with the constant threat of making quota. How do we help our customers and make our numbers?

Quota 127

Quota Commission Pipeline Pitch 127

Hubspot

MARCH 27, 2019

Motivating your sales team isn't about taking the coffee from their lips, it's about setting realistic quotas tailored to each rep, the type of product or service they're selling, and the market they're selling to. Here's everything you need to know about setting successful sales quotas. Sales Quota. Activity Quota.

Quota 100

Quota Territory Commission Sales 100

SaaStr

MARCH 29, 2025

Transitioning from founder-led sales to a commissioned sales team is one of the most criticaland trickysteps in scaling a SaaS business. Founders are often the best salespeople early on because they know the product inside-out, theyre passionate, and customers love talking to the CEO. Commission is Only Paid if Earned, After All.

Commission 71

Commission Objection handling Quota Sales 71

Hubspot

APRIL 24, 2019

If your sales organization is struggling to strike a balance between company requirements and the compensation needs of employees, it's likely time to reevaluate your compensation plan and commission structure. Luckily, I've compiled some resources for you to determine the best sales commission structure for your sales team or yourself.

Commission 101

Commission Territory Quota Real Estate 101

Veloxy

FEBRUARY 28, 2022

While you can manually add multiple stops ahead of time using Google Maps, there are missing route planning features that are key to helping field salespeople hit quota and exceed customer expectations. That means hitting the road, accumulating miles, and chasing greater commissions. Here’s why.

Territory 221

Territory Gambling Quota Commission 221

SaaStr

JANUARY 18, 2021

Q: Should we deduct partner referral fees from our sales people’s commission? If I have to pay a partner say 20% of a deal, and they do a lot of the work — why do I also have to pay my own sales rep a full commission? So yes, at least for a while, with many partners you may in essence need to pay a double commission.

Commission 102

Commission Closing Referrals Quota 102

Veloxy

MAY 25, 2021

Inside and outside sales reps are not only paid on commission, hefty bonuses and kickbacks also motivate them to work even harder. When it comes to activity based rewards, your reps would definitely love to unwind after pushing hard to hit their quotas. I mean, c’mon, you’ve seen all the movies right? 7: Motivate with Office Upgrades.

Drivers/motivators 299

Drivers/motivators Extrinsic Intrinsic Non-Profits 299

Sales Hacker

MARCH 10, 2021

However, if 100% of your sales reps are hitting their quota every single quarter, it may not be cause for celebration. You don’t want reps to hit 100% – aim for 60% of reps hitting quota. A healthy sales organization should aim for about 60% of reps hitting their quota. If it shoots up to 80–85%, it’s time to re-evaluate quotas.

Quota 121

Quota Territory Profit margin Growth 121

Sales Hacker

SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

That means if you’re an SDR, there’s a 52% chance you’ll hit the phones hard, send tons of emails, and not even reach 90% quota. So why is quota attainment so bad for so many SDRs? SDR performance is rewarded with commissions, trophies, accolades, and a lot of visibility inside the organization.

Quota 133

Quota Meeting Cold Call Commission 133

Cerebral Selling

JUNE 28, 2022

“Hey David, I’ve been working with this customer for a while now and I think we can get the deal done by our deadline. You said the customer obviously prefers us and is ready to move forward. “Would you believe it, I asked the customer and they said the quarterly payments weren’t a deal-breaker.

Negotiate 243

Negotiate Commission Quota Price 243

Salesforce

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

These targets are used to guide the quota-setting, territory mapping , and sales team strategies. These include things like quota attainment for a sales team and the numbers of deals in reps’ pipelines. With sales targets in place, your team can create quotas to strive for and specific strategies for hitting those quotas.

Quota 116

Quota Territory Pipeline Sales 116

Partners in Excellence

MARCH 20, 2012

As sales professionals, we struggle to find business and meet our quotas. Granted, we aren’t a huge customer, we’ve bought dozens of computers over the years, but not hundreds or thousands. I called the customer service department anxious to see if there was a way to accelerate the shipment. It didn’t arrive.

Customers 118

Customers Commission Quota Relationship Management 118

SaaStr

JULY 22, 2020

Commission that is a Relatively Low % of the Dea l. Relatively High Quota. You don’t make a lot on each deal, and with a high quota, it’s a big nut to hit. Almost Complete Hand-off of Customers to “Others”, Customer Success, Account Manager, etc. All I cared about was the customers.

Commission 145

Commission Quota Inside sales Sales 145

A Sales Guy

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

You are about talk to your customer who makes up 30% of your quota. On your quota. On your commission. Who their customers are. How they handle their customers (internal and external). Where should your head be when you are calling your prospects and customers? It’s the moment of truth.

Prospecting 118

Prospecting Cold Call Customers Commission 118

Hubspot

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

Many organizations may closely meet your company’s ideal customer profile (ICP) criteria and warrant sales reps to proactively reach out to them. The evangelist may work for a consulting firm, a partner candidate, or even an existing customer. And this, of course, is key to a satisfying commission number.

Territory 83

Territory Cold Call SQL Campaign 83

Veloxy

MARCH 16, 2022

While money shouldn’t necessarily drive your life, earning commissions and other incentives based on performance is extremely fulfilling and it helps you climb the ladder faster. You’re immediately helping drive revenue and customer satisfaction as an entry level employee. 4 Reasons Why Sales Jobs are Great for College Grads.

Pharmaceutical 223

Pharmaceutical Commission Inside sales Sales 223

Engage Selling

MARCH 21, 2019

Financial compensation doesn’t have to be the only approach to commission. There’s another, perhaps more valuable approach which can further motivate your sales team to produce results. It’s time. Think about it. How often, in today’s world, do your sellers get real, … Read More »

Commission 86

Commission Drivers/motivators Sales Clients 86

Hubspot

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

To meet your quota (and stay sane), it’s important to leverage AI tools and techniques that can unlock the following benefits. Armed with the right solutions, you can increase efficacy, improve efficiency, and exceed your quota — and yes, enjoy those commission accelerators, too. 5 Ways to Use AI to Close More Sales 1.

Closing 80

Closing Contract Technique Sales 80

Sales Pop!

AUGUST 24, 2024

And as a result, for our nourishment, quota achievement and commissions, we really needed them as well. What may be a relatively small revenue opportunity may actually deliver tremendous value to the customer. 31 and your end-of-year quota performance. And they have no concern about your quota or your commissions.

Commission 130

Commission Quota Clients Up-sell 130

Partners in Excellence

APRIL 4, 2014

They had articulated one of the most critical issues facing their customers, developed deep insight about the issue and had some outstanding ideas. It had a clear call to action, provoking the customer to engage them in deep conversations about the issue and impact on their businesses. Customer I did too! Customer: #WTF!

Conversion 108

Conversion Customers Quota Commission 108

Membrain

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

When you look at these things we use to describe “salesmanship,” none of it is meaningful to the buyers – the people we have to engage to meet our quotas, achieve our goals, and earn our commissions. Salesmanship” is more about helping the customer than our own self focus. It got me to thinking about, “What is salesmanship?”

Commission 125

Commission Quota Negotiate Technique 125

SaaStr

JUNE 12, 2022

If you’re a SaaS sales rep with a $500k annual quota, doing $5k ACV deals … you have to close 100 deals a year. But I knew this was the wrong way to build a customer-centric company. There was another one I hated on the Customer/Client Success side. There was another one I hated on the Customer/Client Success side.

Commission 114

Commission Customers Contract Quota 114

Sales Pop!

AUGUST 2, 2023

Some outsourcers can manage the whole sales process, while others might focus on areas such as lead generation, setting up appointments, customer relationship management, etc. The most crucial thing in outsourcing is to have good enough customer management that the buyers don’t realize the salesperson working with them is from a third party.

Represent 231

Represent Lead generation Sales Commission 231

Sales Hacker

MAY 9, 2019

It needs to provide fair compensation to employees in customer-facing roles. It needs to incentivize specific behaviors and actions that suit the needs of both the company and the customer. Decide Base Pay vs. Variable Pay (Commissions). Step 4: Decide Base Pay vs. Variable (Commissions). Establish Role Levels.

SQL 110

SQL Commission Customers Non-Profits 110

Partners in Excellence

JANUARY 23, 2015

” He spoke about displacing sales with a Customer Success team, people dedicated to making sure customers are successful. People on a profit sharing plan, but with no quota, not prospecting, without commissions, dedicated to the customers’ success. But I’ll write more about this in a future post.

Commission 121

Commission Profit margin Quota Sales 121

Pointclear

MAY 8, 2013

Andy Gray is a senior marketing professional with proven expertise in directing, centralizing, and strengthening how customers are acquired and retained as well as how companies are positioned through marketing strategies, demand generation, sales support and enablement programs, market research and product development. Should we go further?

Quota 80

Quota Commission Finance Sales 80

A Sales Guy

JULY 23, 2014

Some pay commission based on sales, while others only pay on margin; still others blend both with incentives and special bonus plans. Once you have determined an acceptable CoS range, you can fine-tune the commission plan. Balanced: Compensation is based on margin, revenue and a third component, such as quota attainment.

Commission 120

Commission Quota Cold Call Sales 120

Partners in Excellence

MAY 15, 2017

Recently read a provocative post declaring “Sales Quotas A Thing Of The Past!” ” For the most part, the article was a tutorial on pipeline metrics and a diatribe against much of the quota setting process. Much of the way sales quotas and goals are set is wrong. But is the answer throwing these out?

Quota 77

Quota Manufacturing Assembly Line Sales 77

Hubspot

OCTOBER 16, 2017

Commission only. Base plus commission. Absolute commission plan. Relative commission plan. Straight line commission plan. When to pay commission. Quota and OTE. Setting quota. Increase percentage of repeat customers. Secondary goals: Acquire well-known customers. Commission only.

Commission 101

Commission Quota X-functional Non-Profits 101

SaaStr

OCTOBER 11, 2022

Even with late stage VC capital much harder to get now, and the IPO markets still frozen, I see many folks on my LinkedIn feed saying Sales and Customer Success are underpaid. Well, for most of time, about 10% of the “profit” on a deal has done to sales, and about 5% of renewals have gone to customer success.

Closing 110

Closing Customers Quota Commission 110

A Sales Guy

NOVEMBER 17, 2014

Selling isn’t about you, your quota, your commission check or making your sales manager proud. Sales is about delivering game changing solutions to your customers and clients and if you can’t do that, you’re not selling. Customers are giving sales people their valuable time. Don’t screw this up.

Customers 121

Customers Sales Commission Gaming 121

Partners in Excellence

NOVEMBER 22, 2022

We read all the time that we are supposed to be helpful to our customers. We have to help them understand new opportunities, the challenges/risks of change, how to reach consensus…… According to all the experts, we have to do all of this stuff to help our customers succeed. We have our goals and quotas to make.

Customers 102

Customers Commission Promote Quota 102

Partners in Excellence

DECEMBER 30, 2021

” It’s a fundamental question that has so many applications: Our customers? ” As sales people, we focus on our goals, quotas, and commissions. The customer is only a vehicle for achieving those. They focus us on our target markets, customers, and people we do business with. Our employees?

Commission 149

Commission Quota Customers Sales 149

SaaStr

JULY 31, 2024

In the early days, when Cash is King, pay the sales reps a full commission on all cash paid up-front. This is relatively uncommon, apprarently < 10% of startups pay a 100% commission on Y2/Y3+ prepaid cash: How Much to Compensate SaaS Sales Teams for New Sales, Renewals and Expansions But at this time, cash was king.

Commission 110

Commission Contract Quota Customers 110