In these lessons, you'll learn some standard structures for financial compensation and how that can vary based on your sales approach. You'll gain perspective on methods of measuring success in a sales role beyond standard sales metrics. The following lessons will also demonstrate the value of assessing yourself and reaching your performance potential. You will also be introduced to various methods to enhance your skills and convert your efforts into a singular strategy. Salespeople are traditionally paid based on their performance. Sales performance can be measured in quotas or a target that is predefined and can measure both individual and team achievements. Typically, quotas are measured as numbers of units sold, profit goals, revenue generated from sales or a combination of these. They are usually set by management and create a measurable objective. As a salesperson, you might be paid based on how well you reach your goals. Because of the structure, some salespeople may make six figures one year and then only make five the next. Many income structures for salespeople include a smaller base pay with a commission, a bonus, or both paid out at various intervals throughout the year. A commission is a variable compensation, calculated as a percentage of products or services sold. This money is typically paid on a more regular basis and is a standard tool for transactional selling. A bonus is an incentive payment for meeting a certain threshold of sales within a given timeframe. Bonuses are usually paid quarterly or annually and include individual, team and organizational contributions. These financial benefits can influence how much pressure goes into each sale. A salesperson's income is usually a combination of these forms of compensation and it's critical to plan a budget accordingly. The only income a salesperson can truly count on is their base pay. A salesperson needs to be knowledgeable about their selling potential, target market and pipeline to accurately plan their income threshold throughout the year. Each of these factors influence the potential earnings that can be made. With this knowledge, salespeople must estimate how much overall income they will have and when they will have access to it. This can help you understand how much money you can spend each month giving your fixed and variable income. For example, if you have a fixed income of 25,000 annually, and you can calculate a variable income of up to 60,000, you should create a budget that allows you to spend an average that considers the variable may fluctuate throughout the year. If you lose back-to-back sales and you notice the impact on your finances, you might put more pressure on the next buyer to close a deal. This is when maintaining an authentic approach is key. The desperation for financial gain may cause feelings of impatience, which may lead you to practice unconventional methods to earn a sale. This will then compromise your ability to build a relationship with your customer. If you're more focused on making a quick sale, your perspective customer can pick up on this and it's possible you'll lose business opportunities.