Almost every founder asks it eventually: should I pay my closers commission-only, or move to a retainer? The wrong answer costs you either months of pipeline stall or a bloated fixed cost you can't back out of.
The truthful answer is 'it depends on four specific things.' Not on what you'd prefer — on what your offer, pipeline and team can actually sustain right now.
Question 1 — What's your AOV?
Below £1,500 average order value, commission-only rarely works. A 15% split on a £1k deal is £150 — a decent closer runs 20+ calls to earn £600. That's not a career, it's a punishment structure, and the closer will leave for better economics inside two months.
Above £3k AOV, commission-only usually wins. The closer's per-call earnings potential is high enough that pay-for-performance aligns cleanly with your cash flow.
Question 2 — How predictable is your lead flow?
If your ad budget varies week to week or you're between offer launches, retainer keeps your closer engaged during the slow weeks and available for the surge. Commission-only in a lumpy pipeline burns closers out — they leave when you most need them.
If lead flow is steady and daily, commission-only is fine. The closer knows what they're walking into every Monday.
Question 3 — Do you need process leadership or just closing capacity?
If you also need someone to run stand-ups, coach setters, refine scripts, and own conversion metrics, that's a fractional Head of Sales role — retainer only. You cannot pay commission-only for management work.
If all you need is more calls closed cleanly, commission-only closers plug in fine.
Question 4 — Can you handle the wait?
Retainer closers ramp on your salary. Commission-only closers ramp on their own risk — which means they need pipeline immediately, so they either produce inside 30 days or they leave. Retainer buys you patience; commission-only buys you speed.
Founders who need someone to run the whole sales function usually start with a short-term consultation to design the structure, then place the right pay model into it.