[welshguy]

Good bosses will want to design a system where you're incentivised to hell, so that you can all be successful. Selling new business is vastly different to selling to an established customer base (upgrades etc) - this would typically be acknowledged in a higher commission rate. Personally, if I were a sales manager, and other things being equal, I'd find it really difficult to pay you the same as a commission-only rep - things have to be seen to be fair, as well as to be fair. What if the commission-only rep found out you were on the same commission rate as well as drawing a salary?

Often, sales reps are paid on a sliding scale, geared to pay higher commission rates after a certain amount of revenue is achieved. There are many ways to skin a cat!

As a reference point, when I worked in a new business sales organisation, my commission plan awarded me 10% of revenue (not profit) which I regarded as wonderfully incentivising.