8/20/2024-My peer stole my commission

Whether or not you win your commission credit case over a conflict, you must learn to protect yourself for the future. Recording your contribution also helps you document your value.

Did your mate really steal the credit on the account? …or are egos distorting the facts?

Who did what and who deserves what situations are common in sales, but you must act carefully to prevent emotions from taking over and distorting your focus.

IF it’s true, and you put in 80% of the work but only got, umm, say 50% of the commission credit, then you have an argument and reason to go to your manager.

But you got other work to do before that!

If you just scored the deal, signed the paperwork, and are already in a tiff with a peer about how much commission credit you two will split, you must first take a breath and organize the facts.

That includes chronicling your specific work, how much (approximate) time you spent, and how much influence your labor had on the outcome. (Hard to estimate, but try.)

Next, reach out to your, ahem…friend and get on their schedule to talk about it. You haven’t yet earned the right to "approach the bench," i.e. go to your manager.

So a fox went crazy in the henhouse and stole your commission credit. Shoot…that stinks. While the horse may have left the barn on this one, you have to move forward and focus on two things you can control down the line.

First, it may seem unappealing, but you must reconcile with your peer because, well…because life is short. You’ll want to establish boundaries with your mate" so future friction does not occur. It’s also a good exercise that will help you prevent such an occasion with everyone on the team.

If need be, let some time pass to drain your emotions, then* you should approach the other and establish new boundaries.

Next—and last—learn to protect yourself. Document your contributions to all collaborative sales efforts and record your work. This can help protect you in case similar situations arise in the future. While it may feel unnecessary, think of it as chronicling your skills and documenting how you add value to each account.

Fighting over commissions is not even close to what it’s like to fight over Kobe beef burgers. Key & Peele prove that in this backyard bar-b-cue scene.