Would you work for me?

[vvaannmmaann]

If I advertised a position as a -

"Self employed,commission only,magazine advertising sales person.Required to source potential leads,and then sell advertising space in a brand new magazine.Good commission paid"

Would you respond? Is there such a thing "the going rate" for commission? If so what is it,or does it depend on the amount of work undertaken?

 

[Deleted member 61074]

I wouldn't respond as I wouldn't work for commission only.

 

[dlitc78]

I am no good at sales work and don't much like the world of advertising, especially in weird magazines or on calendars and things like that.

But I'm sure some people would be up for it.

 

[TotalWebSolutions]

I am sure you would get some interest from fresh out of college/uni types, especially ones that had studied marketing/advertising but were struggling to get a job.

 

[thebigIAM]

If I were looking for a post with "good commission" I would expect it to be upwards of £600 a week. I have several friends who have clocked up more than £1000 a week just in commission (mortgage advisers). They've hit upon hard times recently though.

Once upon a time, I regularly paid £600 a week in commission to my best sales people. There were a few average or poor performing sales staff who didn't stay long. They would usually clock up £200-£250 a week.

The arrangement was most fragile if they needed time off sick. It led me to think it wasn't really sustainable. I began to look more at employing part-timers on minimum or slightly better than minimum wage and paying less generous commission, which I think worked better.

I've even recently tried paying £9-£10 an hour, but for only nine hours a week, to keep under the payroll threshold, and no commission at all. That worked better than I would have expected.

Get bored mums with kids at school and a husband/partner working, with a passion for expensive shoes and having a natter, and the job's a good 'un. But if she splits from her partner/husband, the arrangement normally crumbles within days.

 

[14A]

@OP Is this something your after or just for discussion?

 

[vvaannmmaann]

@OP Is this something your after or just for discussion?

For a possible project next year.

 

[90DC]

I wouldn't work for commission at all. But then I'd probably pay sales people on commission as then they'd be paid on performance.

 

[Indigo Cherry]

I wouldn't work for comission only! You are really limiting the applicants you will recieve (in my opinion) by offering comission only!

One would have to be super confident and amazing at his/her job to want to work on a comission only basis. A lot of people want at least a little bit of security.

I used to work for an office stationary company on a comission (27%) basis but we got £40 a day so at least we were guaranteed £200 a week! Saying that, some weeks I took home around £700 so it was all good

 

[Officebird]

I have a client that 'employs' people on the same basis and it has worked well for him. It is for advertising in a local publication. I couldn't tell you how much commission he pays though, sorry

 

[estwig]

The comments about, 'I wouldn't work for commission only' are very telling for, business people on a business forum. If you're in business, no work = no money, same as commission only.

Having said all that I wouldn't do it, partly because I don't want to, mainly because I'm an unemployable, miserable old git, set in my ways!!!

 

[Indigo Cherry]

The comments about, 'I wouldn't work for commission only' are very telling for, business people on a business forum. If you're in business, no work = no money, same as commission only.

Having said all that I wouldn't do it, partly because I don't want to, mainly because I'm an unemployable, miserable old git, set in my ways!!!

Hi Estwig,

It's not quite the same though is it? When we go into business we realise that there's a big risk involved and we do it for our families et... but when we take employment we sort of look for that security that being self employed doesn't offer.


Matt

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Hi Estwig,

It's not quite the same though is it? When we go into business we realise that there's a big risk involved and we do it for our families et... but when we take employment we sort of look for that security that being self employed doesn't offer.


Matt

But, when you ask someone to work as commission only, it's the same thing. Therefore, if your paying commission only, the rewards acheivable need to be far greater than a similar position in employment.

 

[captaincloser]

Yes I would work on that basis. But I would run the very finest tooth comb through your business and your reason for wanting commission only sales. If you were in any way underfunded you would not get me. Being underfunded is the problem of so many these days...so they go looking for 'free' workers...and that's why when they get no replies to their 'commission only ' recruitment ads they think we do not exist .

My first work, many years ago, was commission only working for a very well established specialist business directory publisher selling advertising space-long before t'internet. Due to union claptrap I had to have a basic so this was £1 a week and a great commission structure on new business and annual renewals.

My colleagues and I all made good money if we lasted beyond 3 months. Poor performers basically fired themselves. Thats how commission only works. We never had, and I have never had this feeling of 'entitlement' that runs through employee situations so much these days. So we never say 'never' to commission only ..We go looking for it.

The majority of 'salespeople' in the UK (unlike the USA) do not fulfill the criteria for a salesperson...hence the mantra of 'I wouldn't work commission only' blah, blah, blah).

There is also an often repeated suggestion by some that commission only salespeople belong to some 'Del-boy' sub culture...I dont think that actually bothers any of us who do so well from commission only agreements. The process in fact makes the best of us more professional, not less so. The 'Del boy' culture is actually criminal activity and a line needs to be drawn in one's thinking on this.There are criminals in every single profession as most readers on here already know.

There are of course the ever present commission only salespeople who cannot get other jobs, but this is the fault of an employer if they take these people on. They cannot last anyway by virtue of the payment method..of PBR. Payment by results. PBR works for everyone except where there are no results...

The most successful people I have met in many, many years of sales are commission only. I have met an awful lot of talented salaried sales people as well and thats a different business frankly...and suits many on both sides of the fence. I am not knocking it..it is just a different way of working.

Oh, and before someone else corrects me I agree that 90%++ of all jobs advertised as commission only are nonsense and placed by chancers...but that's all part of business life and the judicious picking of winners..Very good deals are out there...You just need to be a little smarter than the monkeys placing the 'monkey' ads.

 

[dlitc78]

My young friend dropped into a commission-only job in recruitment and left with over £70,000 in his first year (age 21-22), haha.

He blew the lot, of course.

 

[Indigo Cherry]

But, when you ask someone to work as commission only, it's the same thing. Therefore, if your paying commission only, the rewards acheivable need to be far greater than a similar position in employment.

But it's really not the same thing though is it? It's a bit like renting a house! You can pay over £100,000 in rent over a 10 year period and the house will never be yours! You are effectively paying the house owner's mortgage and giving him/her some pocket money to spend.

This is pretty much the same if you are working for somebody! I'm not saying everyone should run a business. All I am saying is that when you work for someone on a comission only basis, there is little to no security! I know this is the same as running your own business but at least if you do the latter you have control over WHAT you sell, WHO you sell to and changing things if it doesn't work out as planned! With the added bonus of reaping ALL the profits if you choose to do so.

Matt

 

[Samhodge]

I don't know if this helps, but we recently had a few commission based sales guys selling advertising space offline for us.

We paid 20% commission on revenue generated through advertising sales.

As far as I'm aware that is reasonably classed as "the going rate" but don't quote me on it.

Sam

 

[Indigo Cherry]

I don't know if this helps, but we recently had a few commission based sales guys selling advertising space offline for us.

We paid 20% commission on revenue generated through advertising sales.

As far as I'm aware that is reasonably classed as "the going rate" but don't quote me on it.

Sam

Were the employees happy with the 20%?

 

[denwy8]

I'm not sure...

 

[kate1]

OP it is around 20%, I did freelance ad sales for 4 years.

I wouldnt ever do it again, its very difficult unless you have an extremely extremely niche product.

Print costs etc, and people putting budget into their own online sites.

 

[Rufford]

The comments about, 'I wouldn't work for commission only' are very telling for, business people on a business forum. If you're in business, no work = no money, same as commission only.

Having said all that I wouldn't do it, partly because I don't want to, mainly because I'm an unemployable, miserable old git, set in my ways!!!

Exactly what I was thinking. I cannot remember when I was last paid a wage by someone else let alone having to live one. To add; there's something about someone that doesn't trust 'themselves' to earn money. Thought this was a business forum?

 

[MH1]

The most successful people I have met in many, many years of sales are commission only. I have met an awful lot of talented salaried sales people as well and thats a different business frankly...and suits many on both sides of the fence. I am not knocking it..it is just a different way of working.

Oh, and before someone else corrects me I agree that 90%++ of all jobs advertised as commission only are nonsense and placed by chancers...but that's all part of business life and the judicious picking of winners..Very good deals are out there...You just need to be a little smarter than the monkeys placing the 'monkey' ads.

Totally agree, I have been in sales for decades and the best salespeople by far are commission only IMO, the good ones need no motivating, will work flat out all year, BUT the money needs to be good to get and hold onto these people.

The professional commission only guys are confident that they can make good money and are not worried by the insecurity, end of the day few salespeople enjoy much security whatever the arrangement, few people get measured so harshly in all industries on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Exactly what I was thinking. I cannot remember when I was last paid a wage by someone else let alone having to live one. To add; there's something about someone that doesn't trust 'themselves' to earn money. Thought this was a business forum?

It's not that I don't trust myself to earn money.I am terrible at cold calling,as I hate the whole process.So I would rather pass it over to someone who is good at it,enjoys doing it,and could earn from it.

 

[Liybpg]

I think the wording can be improved (e.g. add spaced after commas/full stops ); then bear in mind that these kind of adverts sound scammy. Maybe try adding more credibility to it by putting more detail if you can.

Otherwise, I think it is irrelevant to ask this lot here whether they will work for you as they could be not your target market. I am sure that unemployed people (with some ambition) would love to have pretty much any job that can pay enough.

 

[Psl]

If I advertised a position as a -

"Self employed,commission only,magazine advertising sales person.Required to source potential leads,and then sell advertising space in a brand new magazine.Good commission paid"

Would you respond? Is there such a thing "the going rate" for commission? If so what is it,or does it depend on the amount of work undertaken?

My company sells digital advertising and currently I have three sales people on commission only.I pay them 50% net commission on every deal they do, this is paid weekly in arrears assuming they, the sales peeps, take a deposit equal to the commission rate payable. On average the commission I pay out is £800+ per person per week.

You would need more info in the advert to attract any potential sales people.
Is your mag a start up?
Is it a niche market mag?
Will there be a digital version?
Some of the other questions any quality self employed commission only sales person would ask have been asked, funding of the venture being one.

Good luck with your mag launch.

 

[Samhodge]

Were the employees happy with the 20%?

As far as I was aware, yes.

 

[Psl]

I think the wording can be improved (e.g. add spaced after commas/full stops ); then bear in mind that these kind of adverts sound scammy. Maybe try adding more credibility to it by putting more detail if you can.

Otherwise, I think it is irrelevant to ask this lot here whether they will work for you as they could be not your target market. I am sure that unemployed people (with some ambition) would love to have pretty much any job that can pay enough.

The problem with taking on unemployed people is that they may not have the experience of selling advertising and therefore they will need training.With the launch of a mag it is very important to get ad revenue in and therefore you need to 'hit the ground running' in repsect of advertising sales.

 

[S-Marketing]

With the margins in print advertising being a bit slim at the moment I wouldn't think this model would work particularly well. Get your marketing research sorted. If it indicates that there is money to be made in your idea, have the balls to bite the bullet and pay a basic wage topped up with performance related pay.

Commission only will need to be a fairly hefty percentage. This will basically make your proposal to potential advertisers too expensive. Either that or the commission payments will eat all your profits.

Just my thoughts

 

[JDX_John]

If I advertised a position as a -

"Self employed,commission only,magazine advertising sales person.Required to source potential leads,and then sell advertising space in a brand new magazine.Good commission paid"

Would you respond? Is there such a thing "the going rate" for commission? If so what is it,or does it depend on the amount of work undertaken?

To me, this sounds like those "earn £50/hr in your spare time" adverts you see stuck on lamp posts and so on. If you can convince people it's for real then no reason why not, but expect people to be suspicious.