Inspired by Netflix's culture deck, paying employees 30-50% above market rate is a powerful retention strategy. While counterintuitive to traditional cost-cutting, this approach creates the luxury of near-zero churn, saving the significant costs and disruptions associated with replacing key personnel.

For its $5k average deal size, SkillVari found a direct US sales model unviable, as travel costs could erase profits. Instead, they built a network of 10 regional resellers, incentivized with commissions up to 20%, to provide local, hands-on demos and support.

To scale its reseller program, SkillVari uses a variable commission structure. Resellers who require significant handholding on deals earn a low commission (3-4%). Those who operate independently, managing the entire sales cycle, earn a much higher rate (up to 20%). This incentivizes partner self-sufficiency.

By fixing the upfront cash collection, the business generates enough surplus to potentially double sales commissions from $50 to $100 per deal. This elevated pay structure attracts a completely different caliber of salesperson—"an order of magnitude better"—who can close more deals per day, dramatically accelerating growth without adding financial risk.

Don't underestimate small revenue streams like affiliate commissions. Because they are often pure profit, they go directly to the bottom line and can have a disproportionately large, life-changing impact on a small business owner's personal income.

Instead of treating high commission payouts as a pure expense, view them as a marketing asset. Actively ensuring it's known that top reps make a lot of money serves as the best possible recruiting tool, attracting other A-players to your company.

Instead of running their own ads, an influencer can propose a deal to create ad content for a partner brand. The brand funds the ad spend, and the influencer accepts a reduced commission (e.g., 20% instead of 40%) on sales. This generates risk-free revenue and free brand exposure for the influencer.

By paying staff up to 150% above the industry average, Trader Joe's creates a significant operating advantage. This investment leads to extremely low turnover (one-tenth the industry average), reducing hiring and training costs while fostering a knowledgeable, happy workforce that improves the customer experience.

Forgo traditional sales commissions at early-stage companies to incentivize what's best for the business, not just the individual. By offering a competitive salary and strong equity instead, salespeople are motivated to help with onboarding, cross-functional projects, and team building without seeing it as a financial loss.