10 Things about commission based writing jobs

Looking at the job boards it is easy to see that the amount of jobs available is low, but the requirements for those jobs are high. Those that do not have a lot of competition are commission based job. Many do not understand commission jobs so they immediately shy away. The reality is, a company has less risk when they hire a worker to work commission. If the employee succeeds, so do they. Those that are good, stay. Those that don’t succeed usually quit before they give themselves a full change. Here are some truths about commission based writing jobs.

In the writing world a lot of these commission based writing jobs are often referred to as passive income sites or revenue sharing sites.

1. You are not always an employee. Some are Independent Contractors. While being an employee can have its advantages, it usually means you are obtaining a set salary so long as you meet the quote per month. You are also having your taxes taken out of your check. That is one less thing to worry about at tax time, right? On the other hand, those who are independent contractors are considered self-employed for income tax purposes and would be allowed business expense deductions when filing form Schedule C.

2. The work is not easy. The company will provide you with all of the tools to help you succeed but they can’t make you succeed. Even with email, websites, business cards, faxes, phone numbers, and other marketing material, you still have to find leads or prospects and close the deal. Make sure you stick to the niche market your category falls in. You will have a hard time selling insurance to those listed in the insurance section of the phone book.

3. The jobs however, are easy to find. With the economy in an up and down frame of mind, many sales companies are switching to a commission base pay schedule. If their employees are working hard and making sales, the company will see growth. If their employees weren’t working hard to begin with, this will show them that they were not a team player and they now have the option to find a better fit for their company. You do the work, everyone gets paid. It’s a win-win for everyone.

4. Hard work brings bonuses and advancements. Most commission based companies offer incentives such as prizes from contests, cash bonuses for completing a set number of deals, cars for those who have the highest number of sales, and other various forms of goods to give you a goal to reach for. Sometimes it helps with morale and motivation. Who wouldn’t work a little harder if they knew they could get a brand new car?

5. It’s like building your own business. Commission jobs are just like starting your own business, but with a little less headache. You are given all of the helpful materials to get started, but you still have to market yourself, brand yourself, put your name out there, meet people, find leads, follow up on leads, and close the deals. If you started your own business you would be doing the same thing.

6. You have to be a people person. If you can’t be around other people, don’t expect to make any money off of commission. Commission is a numbers game, but it is also a people’s game. You have to be able to speak to people in order to tell them about your product. If you don’t, you could be losing sales. If you can’t tell people about your product, people just aren’t going to know about it, or be interested.

7. Sick days are far and few between. If you take a day off, those are potential clients you could be missing. Time is crucial with commission. Don’t take any more days off then you have to. If you feel a cold coming on, take care of yourself and try to do what you can so you aren’t so behind when you become well.

8. Motivation is key. If you aren’t motivated, you aren’t going to succeed. Motivate is what drives us. It’s the fuel for the commission fire. Lose it and you will lose sales. Spend some time each morning before your day starts remembering you are thankful to have a job, and seek out motivational messages online to read while enjoying your coffee.

9. If you are good, the money is good. That is the reality. Not only do you have to be a people person and have motivation, you have to be good at it. Sales are not easy. Some people just don’t have the gift of gab, or the drive to get the sales closed. Others find it hard to seek leads. You have to be good to succeed and that success is what brings your sales.

10. There is always room for advancement. People come and go in the commission world. They realize it’s not for them for many different reasons or they find some sense of security in an hourly job. Commission teams need good managers and leaders. If that is you, it is highly likely your company is going to advance you. Do good work, good things come.