Reps who hunt the commission close less, because buyers can tell what they're optimizing for. The commission is the byproduct of doing the job well. The job is to educate, to help and to solve an actual problem for the client.
I became a much better salesperson when I decoupled how much money I made from the work I was doing. Commissions are a great scoreboard. But it took me time to learn that earning the commission isn't the job.
A sales leader I spoke with on the podcast recently said it better than I did: "Don't hunt the commissions, don't hunt the paychecks." Hunt what you need to do to provide a solution or service for your client. The commission happens naturally when you do that well.
What commission-hunting looks like
It rarely looks like greed. It looks like normal pressure at the end of a quarter:
- Discovery gets shorter, because the rep already knows what they want to sell.
- Deals that don't fit get pushed anyway.
- The rep presents pricing before checking whether the deal can work.
- Hard truths about timelines and costs get saved for after the signature.
Every one of those buys a little speed now and costs trust later.
Buyers have seen it before
The same leader works in a market where high commissions led to a lot of bad business on the consumer side. His answer on the commercial side: you have to be overly transparent.
Most B2B markets have some version of this. Your buyer has been burned by someone who sold them something that didn't deliver. They're watching to see whether you're the same.
Start with the free 40-Point Outside Audit.
It is the part of the 100-Point GTM Autopsy that can be scored from outside the company, from public sources alone. No mystery shop. Scored by Colin, with an offer to walk through what he found. The 100-Point GTM Autopsy is $5,000, ten business days, required before the 90-day fix, credited in full toward any engagement, and covered by a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
Book your free 40-Point Outside AuditCheck feasibility before you show the economics
One habit he described stands out. Before presenting the numbers, check whether the deal is even possible. In his words, you might present the economics, "but this might not even be financially feasible, let alone engineering-wise capable."
A rep chasing the commission shows the exciting numbers first. A rep solving the problem confirms it can be done, then shows the numbers. The second rep loses fewer deals late.
What revenue leaders can do
- Define the job. Say it out loud: the job is the client's outcome. The number follows.
- Review deals on fit. In every deal review, ask what problem the client is solving and whether the deal delivers it.
- Reward transparency. Praise the rep who surfaced a risk early, even when it slowed the deal.
- Make feasibility a stage. Don't let pricing go out until the deal is confirmed possible.
What to do this week
Pick your five biggest open deals. For each one, ask the rep two questions: what outcome is the client buying, and have we confirmed we can deliver it? If the answers are vague, those are your forecast risks.
If you want a structured way to check the rest, the 100-Point GTM Framework lists every point I score, free to download. When you need experienced sales leadership without a full-time hire, here's how I work.
Not sure what your team is really optimizing for? Start with the free 40-Point Outside Audit. I score the roughly 40 points of your go-to-market that can be read from the outside, from public sources alone, and walk you through what I found. If it's useful, the next step is the 100-Point GTM Autopsy, which scores your whole go-to-market with your data and your team. Book your free 40-Point Outside Audit.
Questions this post answers
Why do commission-driven sales reps lose deals?
Buyers can tell when a rep is pushing for the close instead of solving their problem. Reps who chase the paycheck rush discovery, overpromise and push deals that don't fit. That erodes trust, which matters most in long, high-value B2B sales.
How do you get sales reps focused on customer outcomes?
Make the job explicit. Define success as the client's problem solved, and coach and review deals on that, not just on the number. Ask in every deal review what the client's outcome is and whether the deal can actually deliver it.
Should you check feasibility before presenting pricing?
Yes. Showing economics for a deal that can't be delivered wastes the buyer's time and damages trust when it falls apart later. Confirm the deal is financially and technically possible first, then present the numbers.
Why does transparency matter more in some markets?
Where high commissions have led to bad behavior in the past, buyers come in skeptical. Being more transparent than they expect, about timelines, costs and what could go wrong, is how you separate yourself from the people who burned them before.
Start with the free 40-Point Outside Audit.
It is the part of the 100-Point GTM Autopsy that can be scored from outside the company, from public sources alone. No mystery shop. Scored by Colin, with an offer to walk through what he found. The 100-Point GTM Autopsy is $5,000, ten business days, required before the 90-day fix, credited in full toward any engagement, and covered by a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
Book your free 40-Point Outside Audit