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FWIW, it seems like nowhere is this truer than SF/SV.

Outside the bubble, it isn't always the case, or the structure can be a bit different, but salespeople in the Valley (as it were) are a different breed.



No, it's just how sales works, it's almost always on commission.


Tesla salespeople do not work on commission. Also you can align incentives through stock grants which appreciate by you selling more.


> Tesla salespeople do not work on commission

I work with tech salespeople with a variety of former employers as tech sales people, and I've never heard of anyone having worked without a commission. I'm vaguely in tech sales myself (solutions architect) and I'm on commission too, and so is everyone who joins our division from similar employment (solutions engineers/architect, or even customer success folks).


While I agree it's the norm, clearly Tesla has gone a different route and it's possible to do so.


Ask a local real estate agent or real estate broker how much base pay they make. Or, heck, a car salesperson or an ad salesperson at your local TV or radio station. It’s all commission-based. In some of these fields in the US the norm is 100% commission-based with no base pay. In others someone might make one to three times minimum wage, but will end up being some of the highest-paid people in the company based on commissions of anywhere from 1% to 50%, depending on the industry.


Sales has been commission-based everywhere I’ve worked, including companies based in other countries.

Commission based sales was definitely not a Silicon Valley invention.




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