Incentives shape outcomes. And for publishers and media companies, few incentives matter more than how you pay your ad sales team. A well-designed commission structure doesn’t just reward top performers — it drives the behaviors that lead to sustainable, high-quality revenue.
But designing that structure is anything but simple.
Between impression-based deals, flat-fee sponsorships, and custom content packages, media sellers juggle an unusually complex mix of products. Add in bundled pricing, third-party platforms, and ad ops timelines, and your compensation plan quickly becomes a high-stakes balancing act.
And that’s not even accounting for team dynamics. Reps want consistency and transparency. Finance wants control and clean data. Leadership wants flexibility and results. How do you design a commission structure that satisfies all three?
In this guide, we break down commission structures that work for modern ad sales teams — and how your ad sales CRM can help simplify the entire process from pipeline to payout.
What Makes Ad Sales Commission Unique?
Unlike SaaS or retail, ad sales teams work with variable deal types, pricing models, and campaign timelines. A seller might close a fixed-price homepage takeover, a CPM-based newsletter sponsorship, and a programmatic direct deal — all in the same week.
That variability creates three common challenges:
- Forecasting is fuzzy. You don’t know exactly how much will be delivered (or billed) until the campaign runs.
- Attribution is messy. Reps may share accounts or split responsibilities across channels.
- Payout is delayed. Revenue doesn’t always match bookings, especially with makegoods and underdelivery.
A modern media sales CRM helps clean up that chaos by tracking pipeline stages, product mix, and order details in one place. But your commission structure still has to fit your business model.
Aligning Commission with Business Objectives
Commissions should do more than incentivize selling — they should reinforce your strategic goals.
- Want to grow direct-sold revenue? Pay more for branded content and premium sponsorships.
- Looking to increase margin? Tie commission to profit, not just gross bookings.
- Launching a new product? Bonus commission can drive adoption quickly.
Your digital ad sales CRM plays a key role in making this actionable. It helps you segment sales data by channel, format, and margin so that you’re compensating based on strategic performance, not just volume.
Commission should align with:
- Revenue growth
- Product adoption
- Inventory utilization
- Account retention
The closer your comp plan is tied to those levers, the more effective it becomes.
Popular Commission Models in Media Sales
1. Flat Percentage on Booked Revenue
How it works: Reps earn a fixed % (e.g. 8%) of every deal they close. This works best for direct-sold, fixed-price placements.
Pros:
- Easy to understand and calculate
- Motivates volume and speed
- Works well with simple ad packages
Cons:
- Doesn’t reward profitability or deal complexity
- May encourage discounting to close fast
Your digital ad sales CRM should help here by flagging margin thresholds and pricing approvals, so you’re not sacrificing revenue quality for commission simplicity.
2. Tiered Commission by Quota
How it works: Reps earn higher commission percentages as they hit sales milestones.
Example:
- 6% on revenue up to $50K
- 8% from $50K–$100K
- 10% beyond $100K
Pros:
- Drives performance beyond baseline targets
- Encourages reps to push into stretch goals
Cons:
- Requires strong tracking of individual pipelines and close dates
With a media sales CRM, you can configure dashboards that show progress-to-quota in real time, segmented by rep, product type, or vertical.
3. Commission by Product Type or Margin
How it works: Reps earn different rates based on what they sell — higher percentages for high-margin or strategic products.
Pros:
- Aligns rep behavior with company priorities
- Encourages sales of new or underleveraged formats (e.g. podcast, CTV)
Cons:
- More complex to track and explain
This is where your CRM becomes critical. A digital ad sales CRM should allow you to tag products by type, format, or pricing model, so you can map payouts automatically and avoid spreadsheet gymnastics at the end of the month.
4. Split Commissions for Shared Accounts
How it works: Two or more team members share a deal (e.g. an AE and an account manager) and split commission accordingly.
Pros:
- Promotes collaboration and account retention
- Reflects real-world selling processes
Cons:
- Can cause disputes without clear attribution and recordkeeping
A shared ad sales pipeline in your CRM helps clarify who touched what, and when. Notes, activity logs, and role-based reporting prevent commission conflicts.
Commission Planning for Different Sales Roles
Not every role in ad sales contributes in the same way. Your comp plan should reflect that.
- Account Executives (AEs): Often drive new business and close deals. Commission should reflect booked revenue and stretch incentives.
- Account Managers: Key for retention, renewals, and upsells. Consider bonuses for client retention or YOY growth.
- Revenue Operations / Sales Support: May not earn commission but need clear goals tied to accuracy, pacing, or pipeline health.
A flexible media sales CRM lets you assign roles to each deal and automate commission logic accordingly. This avoids overpaying and keeps everyone aligned.
Don’t Forget: When You Pay Matters Too
Some publishers pay commission on bookings. Others wait until delivery or billing. Some split it 50/50.
Here’s how the timing options shake out:
- On booking: Motivates fast selling, but risky if deals fall through or get canceled
- On delivery: More accurate, but may delay payouts and hurt morale
- On payment received: Cleanest for finance, hardest on sales teams
Many media companies split the difference, paying part on booking and the rest on delivery. A media sales CRM that tracks campaign status and billing cycles can help you automate this, avoiding end-of-quarter confusion.
How a Digital Ad Sales CRM Helps Track, Trigger, and Trust Payouts
Without the right system, commission tracking becomes a full-time job. Your CRM should:
- Log all deals and pipeline movement by rep and product
- Track quota and tiered progress in real time
- Be unified with your OMS and Ops platform to confirm delivery
- Export clean reports to finance or your commission payout system
A modern ad sales CRM is your commission engine, ensuring reps are paid accurately and leadership can plan confidently.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Even with good intentions, commission plans can go sideways. Here’s how to avoid the biggest traps:
- Overcomplicating the math: If reps need a spreadsheet to decode their comp plan, it’s too complex.
- Ignoring non-revenue contributors: AMs, ad ops, and others play key roles in client success. Recognition matters.
- Forgetting to adjust over time: Your strategy evolves — your comp plan should too. Review quarterly or biannually.
- Tracking commission manually: This leads to errors, mistrust, and end-of-quarter headaches.
A purpose-built digital ad sales CRM reduces confusion and keeps your team focused on results — not reconciliation.
Real-World Example: Making Commission Work Across Formats
Let’s say your company sells:
- $25,000 in fixed-price newsletter sponsorships (10% commission)
- $15,000 in CPM display ads (8% commission)
- $8,000 in podcast ads (12% commission)
With a smart CRM:
- Each deal is tagged by format
- Each rep’s role is tracked
- Commission totals are calculated automatically
Instead of reconciling manually across three systems, your team sees accurate earnings tied to real pipeline — with payout timing aligned to revenue milestones.
Final Takeaway
Commission structure isn’t just about how much you pay. It’s about what behaviors you reward, how you grow your team, and how well your sales tools support your strategy.
With a flexible, format-aware commission model — and a digital ad sales CRM that tracks every detail — you can motivate your team, protect your margins, and build a smarter, faster ad sales pipeline.
The media business moves fast. The right incentives, paired with the right systems, keep everyone aligned and moving in the same direction.
Want to see how Ad Orbit can help you simplify commission tracking, pipeline visibility, and payout automation?
