I’m debating this with a friend who is job searching, curious on your thoughts: Commission vs. Base: What Actually Keeps You Motivated?

I’m curious — for people who’ve been in sales 5+ years, what truly drives performance long-term?
Is it a strong base, uncapped commission, recognition, or something else entirely?
(I can’t really confirm which is more effective overall, so I’d love to hear real experiences.)

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That's a great question but a tough one because everybody is motivated by different things. For me, I like the competition and the recognition. For my colleagues, it's all about the commission.

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Yeah I’m leaning towards it’s all about the bag 💰, but I did win president’s club and that was a nice experience. What type of recognition do you get that tips the scales for you?

Commission definitely kicks things into gear for me. It's hard to say if I'd be as successful if I received my base no matter what. Uncapped commission has to be the best motivator.

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Yeah, that’s really good point. Do you get a draw or just straight commission and you make it work?

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