Why Sales Reps Should Negotiate Base Pay

Operator Note

A rep sent me a voice note telling me he was negotiating the base pay for an offer he recieved.Love it.No loony-toon shinanigans here.Not only do I think this is ok, I encourage it!Reps, if you take a comp plan you don’t ACTUALLY want,how long do you think you'll last on that offer?You’ll start the role low-key resentful, second-guessing every call,wondering why you’re grinding so hard for a number you never mentally agreed with in the first place.You're stepping into incongruency. Never lasts.Yes, sometimes you have to accept terms less than ideal, so what do you do if you must?Keep stacking skills until you can negotiate the kind of comp package that fits your life and your style,until you no longer have to accept terms that simple don't work for you.You can ask for what you want, and if they walk, at least you stuck to your guns.Not compromising always ends in a net-positive.Now, Founders: when a rep negotiates, don't get your knickers in a twist,they're not trying to be ungrateful or get something for nothing.What you're witnessing is the SAME backbone you say you want them to have with your buyers.If your “A-player” hates your comp plan, the question isn’t “How dare they ask for more?”It’s “What’s broken in my comp that the person I want… doesn’t want it?”And yes, sometimes that means paying more than your competitors.Try to figure out how to MAX out the comp plan to the point that another penny would sink your business, esspecially in sales.And don't forget that keeping great talent around is ALOT cheaperthan living on the recruiting roulette wheel because YOU tried to save \$1–2k a month.If you want someone who’ll fight for revenue at the table with your prospects,don’t punish them for fighting for themselves at the table with you.