November 13, 2025

Do Salespeople Leave for Commission or Culture?

Salespeople often move for two reasons: money or meaning. But research from Morgan Spencer shows that culture plays a bigger role in long-term retention than commission alone. The most successful employers balance both, rewarding performance while building environments that make people feel valued and supported.

Morgan Spencer Insider Insight: “When interviewing candidates who have recently left a sales role, the most common reason provided isn’t ‘I wanted more commission.’ It’s ‘I didn’t feel valued or supported by leadership.’”

Key Takeaways:

Commission attracts but culture retains, both are essential for reducing sales turnover.
Leadership and recognition influence retention more than short-term earnings.
Salespeople increasingly value belonging, development and fairness alongside pay.
Transparent commission systems build trust and loyalty.
Aligning culture and incentives helps sales teams perform and stay longer.

Why Sales Turnover Is Still So High

If you’re managing a sales team, you’ve likely asked yourself why top performers keep leaving even after you’ve improved their pay package. It’s a frustration we hear constantly at Morgan Spencer.

Many managers assume better commission will fix turnover, but the truth is more complex. While financial reward may trigger a move, retention depends on how supported and recognised employees feel once they’re in a role.

Sales professionals today want to be part of something sustainable, not just a target-driven machine. When the pressure outweighs the recognition, they’ll listen to new opportunities regardless of pay.

What Actually Drives Salespeople to Leave

Motivation in sales has two distinct layers: immediate reward and long-term fulfilment. Our recruiters divide these motivators into tangible and emotional categories.

Motivator	Short-Term Effect	Long-Term Impact
Commission plans	Sparks fast motivation and quick wins	Can lead to burnout or unhealthy competition
Company culture	Creates belonging and pride	Reduces attrition and builds resilience
Leadership support	Shapes daily engagement	Builds loyalty and progression
Recognition and feedback	Encourages consistency	Increases satisfaction and advocacy

The conclusion is clear: pay opens the door, but culture determines whether someone walks back out.

How Sales Priorities Are Shifting in 2025

Ten years ago, most sales interviews started with “What’s the commission structure?” Now, candidates lead with questions about leadership and flexibility. They’re looking for psychological safety and personal growth as much as they’re looking for higher earnings.

At Morgan Spencer, we see this shift every day.

Candidates increasingly ask:

“How are achievements recognised beyond commission?”
“What kind of coaching or mentoring does your company offer?”
“How flexible is your working model?”
“What happens when someone misses a target?”

According to the Morgan Spencer 2025 Sales Motivation Snapshot, 68% of mid-level sales professionals said they would accept a slightly lower commission rate in exchange for a stronger team culture and clear development pathway.

Structuring B2B Sales Compensation to Influence Long-Term Retention

Commission still matters, but it’s only one part of the equation. In competitive B2B environments, clear and fair pay structures can significantly improve retention and morale.

The common issue we see is complexity. If a salesperson needs a spreadsheet to understand their bonus, motivation fades fast. A simple, transparent structure creates trust and engagement.

Here are four principles that consistently improve retention:

Keep it simple - Clearly explain how targets connect to rewards.
Be consistent - Avoid mid-year commission changes that create instability.
Reward more than revenue - Include recognition for teamwork, leadership and mentorship.
Share success stories - Celebrate examples where collaboration led to big wins.

Recruiter insight: companies that use clear and fair commission frameworks retain sales staff 25% longer on average than those with complex, tiered systems.

The Hidden Power of Culture in Sales Teams

A strong culture transforms sales from a high-pressure grind into a sustainable performance engine. The culture in which sales professionals operate defines how they handle rejection, stress and competition.

In thriving teams, there’s a clear sense of fairness and mutual respect. Salespeople feel like they’re part of something, not replaceable cogs. This mindset fuels better communication and lower turnover.

Here are the signs of a healthy sales culture:

Leadership treats people like partners, not resources.
Wins are celebrated publicly, and failures are treated as learning.
Coaching is consistent and personal, not reactive.
Feedback flows both ways, allowing team input to shape strategy.

At Morgan Spencer, we’ve observed that companies with visible leadership support and collaborative recognition programs often outperform those that rely purely on financial incentives.

How to Keep Sales Professionals Engaged and Loyal

Retention starts with understanding what really motivates your team. It’s not always the pay rise; it’s the sense of purpose and recognition that comes with success.

How to Retain High-Performing Sales Professionals

Outcome: A balanced retention strategy that aligns financial and emotional motivation.

Define your employee value proposition - Clarify why your company is worth staying for beyond salary.
Simplify your commission plans - Use transparent calculations and predictable targets.
Train leaders to coach, not control - Build confidence and autonomy through support, not micromanagement.
Recognise consistent contribution - Reward reliability, mentorship and collaboration alongside sales numbers.
Implement value-aligned incentives - Offer small bonuses for cultural contributions such as mentoring new hires or improving client processes.
Show clear progression - Map visible career paths from account executive to senior leadership.
Prioritise wellbeing - Include burnout prevention, flexible hours and open discussion on workload.
Collect real-time feedback - Use short pulse surveys or regular one-to-ones to identify concerns early.

By combining pay clarity with culture-led recognition, you’ll create a balanced system that motivates both performance and loyalty.

What Sales Candidates Really Tell Recruiters

Our consultants hear hundreds of first-hand stories each year, and a consistent pattern emerges. Salespeople leave for reasons that can’t be solved by another bonus.

Here’s what candidates most often tell us during interviews:

“The targets kept changing.”
“I never got feedback unless I missed a quota.”
“The team felt competitive, not collaborative.”
“The money was fine, but I didn’t enjoy the environment.”

These comments reveal a deeper truth: commission attracts, but culture retains. A pay rise can mask cultural issues temporarily, but without belonging and trust, it won’t last.

Some of the best placements we’ve made this year involved candidates taking lateral moves in pay for companies with better leadership and clearer communication. That trade-off leads to higher long-term performance.

FAQs

Q: Why do salespeople leave jobs with high commissions?
A: Salespeople often leave high-paying roles because they feel unsupported, disconnected or undervalued, even if their commission is strong.

Q: What’s more important for sales retention, culture or commission?
A: For long-term retention, culture has more impact. Commission brings quick results, but culture builds trust, engagement and consistency.

Q: How can companies balance culture and commission effectively?
A: Companies can balance both by aligning incentives with team values, celebrating collaboration and keeping commission plans clear and achievable.

Q: What role does leadership play in keeping sales talent?
A: Leadership plays the biggest role. Salespeople stay when they feel coached, trusted and supported rather than micromanaged.

Q: What trends are shaping sales motivation in 2025?
A: Sales motivation in 2025 is driven by purpose, recognition and fairness. Candidates value transparent pay, supportive culture and visible development opportunities.

About the Author

Written by a senior sales recruitment consultant at Morgan Spencer, specialising in hiring and retention strategy for high-performing sales teams across London. With extensive market experience and access to proprietary candidate insight data, they advise business leaders on how to attract, engage and retain elite sales professionals.

Partner with Morgan Spencer to Strengthen Your Sales Retention Strategy

At Morgan Spencer, we don’t just place candidates, we help you build sales teams that stay. Our recruitment specialists combine real market insight with retention data to help you design compensation and culture strategies that attract top talent and protect your investment.

Contact Us today to start building a sales retention strategy that keeps your best performers engaged, motivated, and loyal.