Sales Hire ROI & Commission Impact

Compare baseline profit to hiring a salesperson with hourly pay, commission, or both. See net profit change, ROI, break‑even uplift, and cost per incremental sale. Model tiered commissions, on‑costs, and tools so you avoid negative‑margin plans and set realistic break‑even targets.

Key Benefits:

  • Compare hourly vs commission vs mixed compensation in minutes—side‑by‑side outcomes
  • See net profit change, ROI, and break‑even uplift with realistic on‑costs and tools
  • Avoid negative‑margin scenarios with warnings when commission exceeds margin
  • Set break‑even uplift (units/%), incremental units, and cost per incremental sale to size targets
  • Optionally include owner time value to capture the opportunity cost of selling yourself
  • Share prefilled scenarios with finance, marketing, and leadership for alignment

Sales Hire ROI & Commission Impact

Compare baseline profit vs hiring a salesperson with hourly, commission, or both. See net change, ROI, and break‑even uplift.

Share Your Scenario

Copy link with your current inputs

Pricing & Margin

$

Average selling price per unit.

%

Gross margin percent on each unit (e.g., 60%).

Volumes

Units sold per month today (without hire).

%

Percent increase in units from hiring (e.g., 25%). Leave 0 if you set explicit target units.

Explicit units per month with salesperson. If provided (>0), this overrides uplift%.

Sales Compensation

$

Hourly wage for salesperson (exclude employer taxes/benefits).

Expected weekly hours for the salesperson.

%

Employer on‑costs (payroll tax, benefits) as a percent of wages. Typical 8–15%.

%

Commission as a percent of revenue or profit.

$

Monthly spend on sales tools/CRM/phone.

Owner Time (Optional)

Owner hours currently spent on sales (optional).

Owner hours that remain after hiring.

$

Opportunity cost of the owner’s hour (optional).

Results

Net Monthly Profit Change
$3,046.90
ROI: 60.6% • Break‑even uplift: 9 units (~2.3%)

Cost Breakdown (With Salesperson)

Wages$2,165.00
Employer on‑costs$216.50
Commission$2,500.00
Tools/CRM$150.00
Total Sales Compensation$5,031.50

Baseline vs With Salesperson

Baseline Gross Profit$24,000.00
With Sales Gross Profit$30,000.00
Baseline Net Profit$21,402.00
With Sales Net Profit$24,448.90

Efficiency Metrics

Incremental Units: 100 • Cost per Incremental Sale: $50.32

Frequently Asked Questions

What if commission on revenue exceeds margin?

You might lose money per sale. Either reduce commission %, switch to commission on profit, or increase price/margin.

How accurate is the uplift?

Treat uplift as a planning estimate based on your lead flow, conversion rate, and follow‑up. Run conservative and optimistic scenarios and compare break‑even results.

Should I include owner time value?

If the owner is selling now, include their hourly value to reflect opportunity cost. If a salesperson reduces owner sales hours, your net profit may improve even before big volume gains.

How do discounts, refunds, and shipping affect commission fairness?

If these reduce deal value meaningfully, consider commission on net revenue or profit. This avoids overpaying on heavily discounted or high‑cost orders.

How do I handle ramp periods?

Use a smaller uplift for the first 1–2 months and/or a guaranteed hourly (draw). After ramp, raise uplift toward your steady‑state target.
Results are estimates for informational purposes only. Consult professionals for important decisions.

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