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
Increasing Sales with Context [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:22
Does it feel like your sales conversations are simply falling flat? You feel like you’re saying all the right things but you’re not seeing your prospect’s face light up with the telltale sign of clarity and excitement (b…
The Most Fun Lead Gen Strategy You Haven’t Heard Of [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:19
Lead generation - especially for those high-ticket, high-quality, high-paying, long-term clients can feel impossible sometimes. Cold calling is the worst, the attraction marketing game takes forever and not everyone has…
Scaling Your Business with a Sales Team [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:40
Are you finally ready to scale your business with a salesperson? After building 4 teams over 4 years and taking them from $30k/month to $300k/month - there’s a lot I’ve learned from that process. Without a doubt, it’s TH…
Break the Business Rules for Ultimate Sales Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:01
Does it feel like business is so much harder than it should be? That you know what you want, but you don’t know how to get there so you’re settling? This episode is going to bring you a ton of clarity. Business growth co…
Generate More Revenue by Saying No to More Clients [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:45
Are you interested in higher quality leads and less nightmare clients? Then this episode is for you. You’ve definitely heard all about how you need to niche down and the “riches are in the niches” - which is true. Not en…
From Corporate Zombie to Legacy Leaver: Crafting a Business with Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:52
Have you ever wanted to start a business but, honestly, had no idea what to start? You don’t need big ideas and I wouldn’t recommend affiliate marketing or an Amazon Store (if you’ve heard of those get rich quick schemes…
How to Do Cold Outreach Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:41
Have you heard that sales is a numbers game? It is - if you treat people like numbers. That’s the ineffective way most people do cold outreach and the reason why everyone dreads it. However, if you do cold outreach well…
Highly profitable, lead generating virtual events [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:29
The age old question - how do I get high quality leads coming in predictably? In this episode, Jennie Wright, creator of the list injection method shares her method for bringing in enough high quality leads for an entire…
Unexpected Subconscious Ways People Sabotage Their Sales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:21
Is there a lack of excitement from prospects - or moving forward - in your sales conversations? A lot of time this is due to sneaky subconscious communication patterns we fall into that were programmed into us growing up…
How to Stand Out in a Saturated World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:04
Are you struggling to stand out in a saturated market? It’s more crucial than EVER to make it clear how you’re different and why someone would want to work with you. This is a source of anxiety for many who internally wo…