re: Anyone work in Sales with zero base salary, only commission?

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by SmackDaniels

yeah...and uh every business owner in the country.

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Exactly. I don't get paid unless my company makes a sale. I get % off of every sale. That's how my salary is set up.

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independent, making bank and loving the freedom. Your post made me laugh. I love to travel and I take vacations all the time, so I simply go when I want and don't book appointments. "Oooh, sorry I'm booked up this week, how does next Wednesday sound to you?"

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Yep it's a good life.

I'm an insurance agent, all commission no salary and I do alright. Been in it 14 years so I have built up a nice base. First few years were rough. Good luck.

Always best to buy an existing book of business in insurance. At least that's what I have always been told.

The best job I ever had was a sales job on commission. I did have a draw because some of our larger customers placed large orders (truck load, and a few, railroad car load to take advantage of discounts) every other month or quarterly with smaller fill in orders. The max I could draw increased as my total business increased. The company I was working for was sold to Scott Paper company that was later merged with Kimberly Clark. The pay was changed to salary plus bonus but the new package wasn't nearly what the original package was. I ended up leaving because I was selling more product with a higher margins but was making a lot less.

One point I would make is that the manager I was working for during commission part of the job was excellent. He helped me immensely. He knew how and when to take advantage of spiffs and specials. He taught me that it isn't always in the customer's or my best interest to "load them up" with the biggest order I could get out of them.

Hopefully, you can get a position with a good company, with good products, and good management. If so and you have your priorities straight you may be able to make a great living.