[QUOTE=Lunar Saltlick]
Thanks for the responses. Yeah, I’m talking B2B. The thing is, I bust my ass to help out the salespeople. You wouldn’t believe how much I do for them, despite the fact I’m not in sales. I’ve participated in more than my share of frenzied, post-midnight RFP cluster fucks. The company recognizes my efforts with decent salary increases, but I’ve always wondered just how much the salespeople are making. Thanks for cluing me in. Now I’m loaded for bear, and I’m goin’ huntin’.
[/QUOTE]
I support software sales from a legal and operations side, and I think 10-15% commission is very, very high, and out of line of industry norms. At the places I’ve worked, software sales is more like 5-8%, more if you’re a third party reseller, depending on the volume of the deal. If the software is more commoditized, then the commission is going to be less, as low as 1% (thanks to companies like CDW and ASAP). If the software is highly customizable, then the commission will be greater, though I still think anything over 10% is outrageously high (unless you’re a reseller). There’s also the professional services element which can probably make a higher commission, but that all depends on the utilization of the consultants involved and if the professional services team is revenue driven, as opposed to just a value-add. Sales engineers also get a cut as do sometimes consultants, though I think they are typically paid on the back end. Sales is probably around low $100ks - $110, maybe $115k, stellar sales is definitely over $150k, and we had one guy make $11M (that’s million). Sales engineers are much lower as low as mid-$80s, but no higher than $160k, the sales engineer with the $11M-guy maybe made $250k (the SEs have a lot of caps in their commission plan). Consultants can make a bit more, but they average around $110k, but won’t make any more than say $180k because it impossible to physically work so many hours or in so many areas.
My gf’s sister is a wholesale mortgage seller, and she makes anywhere from .25-2%, but it’s mainly under 1%, but she still makes 6 figures.
Real estate agents in my area make 3%.
My little sister, before college, was making something like 2% at the mall. All I know is it averaged to be $15/hr, this was at trendy fashion clothes store; maybe she was a good seller, but it definitely destroyed my per $8hr/avg selling shoes. My sister now is a Certified Financial Planner, and she sells a ton of insurance and 403(b) and 401(k) plans. Commission varies widely with the product, from 2% for stocks and mutual fund driven plans, to 50% of the premiums for insurance plans.