What Founders Get Wrong About Sales Compensation

What Founders Get Wrong About Sales Compensation

Author: Aleasha Bahr November 27, 2025 Duration: 9:31
One of the most expensive mistakes founders make happens the moment a salesperson starts performing.  Revenue rises. Momentum builds. …and then the first large commission check appears.  Instead of celebrating the growth, the owner panics. They see the payout instead of the profit. Here’s the thing: a big commission check is not the problem. It is proof your business is scaling and that’s something to celebrate!  If your sales person is making good money - that means you’re making good money. You should definitely be making more than when they weren’t there.  And if you’re not - that’s a problem with the plan - not the rep. In this episode of Sales is Not a Dirty Word, common comp plan issues, how owners unintentionally sabotage their best performers and the ripple effect that can end up costing you a lot more money than you save.  Listen in to discover:  ✔ Why flat commission plans cap performance✔ The mindset shift that makes big commission checks feel good, not scary✔ How changing a working plan destroys trust and pushes talent out✔ Why competitive compensation attracts the top 1 percent of salespeople✔ How to create a tiered monthly ladder that encourages performance✔ Why reducing commission always costs more through turnover and lost deals✔ The real financial impact of replacing a salesperson and why sales has the highest churn rate You’ll learn how to design a comp plan you never resent paying and how to use incentives to shape the behaviors that move your business forward. If you want a compensation plan that matches your margins and growth strategy, book a Black Sheep Sales Audit at calendly.com/aleasha/salesteam-levelup  #SalesIsNotADirtyWord #SalesCompensation #SalesLeadership #CommissionPlan #SalesStrategy #SalesTeamSuccess #BlackSheepSales #SalesManagement #SalesHiring #SalesCoaching #SalesCompensationPlan #BusinessGrowth #FounderTips #SalesRetention #AuthenticSelling

Ever feel like the whole idea of "selling" makes your skin crawl? You're not alone, but what if everything you've been told about sales is wrong? Sales is NOT a Dirty Word is built on the idea that genuine connection, not manipulation, is the real engine of business growth. Host Aleasha Bahr, creator of the Matchmaker Sales method™, dismantles the high-pressure stereotypes one conversation at a time. Instead of scripts and tricks, she opens up her playbook, sharing insights and strategies typically reserved for her private coaching clients-where achieving an 80% conversion rate on sales calls isn't a fantasy, but a regular outcome. Each episode of this podcast features candid talks with experts who offer alternative, refreshingly human perspectives on the process. You'll hear real stories about building trust, understanding client needs deeply, and creating agreements that feel good for everyone involved. This isn't about learning to pretend; it's about discovering a framework where your authenticity becomes your greatest asset in closing deals. Tune in to transform your approach from something you dread into a natural, even enjoyable, part of your professional life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Sales is NOT a Dirty Word
Podcast Episodes
Stop Losing Deals: The Right Way to Use Pitch Decks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:33
A pitch deck can be your strongest sales tool or your biggest sales killer. The difference comes down to strategy. Although there is a pitch deck - it’s essential to ask strategic questions - not just “make sense?”, “sou…
How to Set Up a Loyal, High-Performing Sales Team [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:48
You hired a sales team so you could focus on growing the business, not spend hours training, managing and baby sitting them. But if your team isn’t performing as well as you, the problem might not be them — it’s often ho…
The Truth About Paid Ads & AI’s Impact on Search with John Horn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
Ever wondered when is the right time to invest in paid advertising - or if it even makes sense for your business? And with AI shaking up search engines, is it getting harder to stand out? In this episode of Sales Is Not…
Why You're Still Getting Ghosted After Great Sales Calls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:38
Everything felt right. The call flowed. You were in sync. You leave the call feeling good. They smiled. You vibed. You follow up with your proposal and... crickets. Let’s talk about it. In this solo episode of Sales is N…
How to Sell Differently and Close More Deals with Dale Dupree [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:40
Tired of the same dated sales strategy? This podcast episode will blow your mind. In this episode of Sales Is Not a Dirty Word, I sit down with Dale Dupree, aka The Copier Warrior and founder of The Sales Rebellion, to t…
Make More Sales without Feeling Gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:13
If your sales strategy feels like putting on someone else’s pants that don’t fit you... that’s an important sign to pay attention to. You don’t need to become a sales bro to sell like a pro. Instead, you will naturally b…
The Power of a Hell Yes Offer with Jessica Miller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
Do you feel like you’re constantly adding more to your business - more offers, more tasks, more complexity - and still not growing the way you want? What if scaling wasn’t about doing more, and actually about doing LESS?…
Using AI in Sales - The Do’s and Don’ts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:31
If you’re alive and breathing, you probably haven’t been able to escape all the conversation about AI taking over the world. There have been some crazy predictions - including that AI will replace sales people. After 15+…