Sales Compensation Model
Commission structure for Blue Line Search sales representatives. Internal document — admin only.
Compensation Philosophy
Land + Expand
Higher commission on first month to reward new logos. Recurring trail to incentivize retention and upsells.
Tier Incentive
Higher percentage on Pro/Enterprise deals. We want reps pushing high-value accounts, not stacking Lite signups.
Annual Bonus
Reps who close annual contracts get 2x the first-month commission — we get 12 months of guaranteed revenue.
Subscription Commission
| Tier | Monthly Price | First Month | Recurring Trail | Year 1 Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | $29/mo | $2.90(10%) | 5% for 6 months ($8.70 total) | $11.60 | Low value — use as foot-in-the-door, upsell to Standard |
| Standard | $279/mo | $41.85(15%) | 5% for 12 months ($167.40 total) | $209.25 | Sweet spot — most likely conversion target |
| Pro | $549/mo | $109.80(20%) | 7% for 12 months ($461.16 total) | $570.96 | High value — recruiting agencies, multi-role clients |
| Enterprise | $1000/mo | $200.00(20%) | 7% for 12 months ($840.00 total) | $1040.00 | Custom pricing — commission on actual contract value |
Annual Contract Bonus
When a rep closes an annual commitment (paid upfront or committed annual billing):
- ✓ 2x first-month commission paid at signing
- ✓ Recurring trail still applies for 12 months
- ✓ Example: Standard annual = $83.70 upfront + $167.40 trail = $251.10
- ✓ Example: Pro annual = $219.60 upfront + $461.16 trail = $680.76
Screening Pack Commission
Flat 10% on all screening pack purchases. One-time payout per pack sold.
Starter (5)
$29
Commission: $2.90
Growth (15)
$69
Commission: $6.90
Scale (40)
$149
Commission: $14.90
Unlimited
$299
Commission: $29.90
Monthly Earnings Scenarios
Based on new deals closed per month (first-month commissions only — recurring trail adds on top).
Conservative
$270/mo
$3238/yr in first-month commissions
5 Lite + 3 Standard + 1 Pro + 0 Enterprise
2 screening packs/mo
Target
$702/mo
$8425/yr in first-month commissions
8 Lite + 5 Standard + 2 Pro + 1 Enterprise
5 screening packs/mo
Aggressive
$1309/mo
$15706/yr in first-month commissions
12 Lite + 8 Standard + 4 Pro + 2 Enterprise
10 screening packs/mo
Note: Recurring trail commissions build over time. By month 6, a Target performer earns ~$500-700/mo in trail alone on top of new deal commissions.
Commission Rules
Eligibility
- • Commission earned when customer completes first payment
- • Free trial conversions count as new deals
- • Upsells (Lite → Standard, Standard → Pro) pay the difference at the higher tier rate
- • Self-service signups with no rep involvement do not earn commission
Clawbacks & Protection
- • If customer cancels within 30 days, first-month commission is clawed back
- • If customer cancels within 90 days, 50% of first-month commission clawed back
- • After 90 days, all commissions are fully earned
- • Recurring trail stops when customer cancels
Payment Schedule
- • Commissions paid bi-weekly with payroll
- • First-month commission paid in the period the payment clears
- • Recurring trail paid monthly in arrears
- • Annual bonuses paid at contract signing
Accelerators
- • Hit 10+ new deals/mo: all commission rates increase by 5% for that month
- • Hit 20+ new deals/mo: all rates increase by 10%
- • Close 3+ Enterprise deals in a quarter: $1,000 bonus
- • Highest monthly revenue earner: $500 bonus (if 2+ reps)
Our cost per screening is $3. Our margins on subscriptions are 85%+. This model is sustainable at any scale.
A good rep at Target performance earns $800-1,200/mo in commissions. An aggressive rep earns $2,000+/mo. That rep is bringing in $15,000-25,000/mo in new recurring revenue. The math works.