If you want your agency to scale, you can’t stay stuck doing all the sales yourself; you need a salesperson.

But here’s the challenge: most agency owners freeze when it comes to structuring sales compensation. That’s why in this episode, we break down a five-part sales compensation playbook designed specifically for agencies.

You’ll learn the exact framework to motivate sales reps, align incentives with long-term client retention, and keep your sales process scalable from on-target earnings to quota setting, commission structures, ramp periods, and performance bonuses. We’ll walk through it all with real-world examples and numbers.

Whether you’re hiring your first salesperson or restructuring your current team, this episode gives you the proven blueprint to get it right.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why rewarding results over effort drives stronger performance.
  
• How to balance base salary and commission for optimal motivation.
  
• The benchmark quotas agencies should expect from a fully ramped rep.
  
• A smart commission structure that prioritizes recurring revenue and client retention.
  
• The importance of ramp periods and how to set realistic expectations.
  
• Bonus and incentive structures that boost morale and retention without breaking your margins.
  

Episode Highlights

1. On-Target Earnings (OTE): Why the 50/50 split of base + commission works for agencies.
   
2. Sales Quotas: Typical ranges ($10K–$20K/month MRR) and how to adapt them.
   
3. Commission Plan: 5% for the first 12 months, 1% for the next 12, zero after that.
   
4. Ramp Period: Why it takes 4–6 months for a new rep to hit quota.
   
5. Bonuses & Incentives: How $15K–$25K annual bonuses inspire overachievement.

⏱ Episode Chapters

00:00 Why Agencies Need a Salesperson
00:30 The Five-Part Compensation Playbook Overview
01:15 Core Principles for Compensation
02:00 Part 1 – On Target Earnings (OTE)
03:00 Part 2 – Sales Quota
03:45 Part 3 – Commission Structure (5% - 1% Model)
05:00 Part 4 – Ramp Period
06:00 Part 5 – Bonuses & Incentives
07:15 Why This Works for Agencies
08:00 How to Get the Free Sales Compensation Playbook

Why This Matters for Agency Growth

This isn’t theory, it’s the same compensation structure that helped agencies scale revenue without burning out their founders. Done right, it attracts money-motivated sales talent, keeps them focused on recurring revenue clients, and builds a scalable, predictable growth engine for your agency.

Resources & Next Steps

• 🎯 Get your free copy of the Sales Compensation Playbook https://deep-specialization.kit.com/sales-compensation-playbook
• 🎥 Watch the full YouTube episode here: https://youtu.be/4jH3wciRVlI
• 📘 Discover how to become the go-to agency in a vertical market: https://www.anyonenoteveryone.com

👉 If you’re serious about stepping out of day-to-day sales and building a scalable agency, this is the episode you don’t want to miss.

📩 Have a question or reflection on the episode?

We’d love to hear from you.

Reach out to: http://coreyquinn.com/contact

What does it really take to grow an agency past seven figures? Spoiler: it’s not sipping mai tais on the beach while your team handles everything.

In this episode of Coffee with Corey, Corey sits down with Peter, a 12-year agency owner who’s built an 18-person team, scaled past seven figures, and learned some hard but powerful lessons along the way. From the myths of “easy growth” to the reality of burnout and breakthroughs, this is a candid look at what agency life is actually like and how to thrive in it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• ☕ The myths vs. realities of agency ownership – why growth isn’t as glamorous as it looks from the outside.
  
• 🚀 The sales process shift that unlocked growth – how Peter went from coasting on referrals to building a scalable outbound system.
  
• 🎁 Gift-based outbound in action – why sending gifts beats cold calls, and how it reflects the client experience.
  
• 🤖 AI as an agency growth engine – the surprising ways Peter’s team uses AI across every department to go faster and deliver better results.
  
• 💡 The underrated skills of agency founders – from listening to specialization, and why nobody ever really “feels cut out” for the job.
  
• 🔥 Candid founder moments – the dark times when Peter considered giving up, and what kept him going.
  

Rapid Fire Highlights

• Most overrated advice: “If you build it, they will come.”
  
• Most underrated skill: Listening.
  
• Weirdest place for a client call: Almost everywhere across the U.S., but never the restroom.
  
• What Peter would whisper to every new founder: Nobody feels cut out for you to build the plane while flying it.
  

⏱ Episode Chapters

00:22 The Myth of “Easy” Agency Growth

01:46 Dark Times and Not Giving Up

06:15 Breaking the 7-Figure Barrier

08:12 Gift-Based Outbound Strategy

09:55 How AI is Transforming Agencies

13:00 Lessons in Leadership and Listening

16:00 What’s Next for His Agency's Growth

If you’re an agency owner (or thinking about becoming one), this episode is equal parts inspiration and reality check. You’ll leave with practical ideas for growth, a deeper appreciation of what it really takes, and maybe even a laugh over Corey’s coffee obsession and Peter’s “black eye” caffeine order.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to scale your agency with clarity, grit, and the right systems in place.

👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXtdIf-TKvE

📩 Have a question or reflection on the episode?

We’d love to hear from you.

Reach out to: http://coreyquinn.com/contact

Resources & Links

🎥 Watch the full YouTube episode here: https://youtu.be/IjIOmiaW6CI

📝 Get the Focus Finder Worksheet: https://deep-specialization.kit.com/vertical-focus-finder-worksheet

📘 Discover how to become the go-to agency in a vertical market: https://www.anyonenoteveryone.com

Your agency isn’t growing as fast as it could not because of talent, but because you haven’t specialized deeply enough. In this episode, Corey Quinn breaks down his proven 3-step Focus Finder system for choosing the right vertical market.

This is the exact framework that helped scale Scorpion from $20M to $200M and that Corey’s clients use to grow 93% faster than generalist agencies, win more referrals, and command premium prices.

If you’ve ever hesitated to niche down because of “fear of missing out,” this episode will show you how to confidently choose a vertical that fuels both growth and fulfillment.

⏱ Episode Chapters

[00:00] Why Agencies Struggle to Grow – The hidden cost of staying a generalist and why specialization leads to faster growth and higher valuations.

[01:00] The Riches Are in the Niches – Key data showing why specialized agencies outperform generalists.

[01:45] Step 1 – Gather the Wisdom in Your Business – How to use your own client data, retention, and team feedback to narrow options.

[02:30] Example: Scorpion’s Home Services Focus – Why revenue, retention, and margin made it the obvious choice.

[02:55] Step 2 – Do You Give a Damn? – Why passion, empathy, and personal connection to a vertical matter for long-term success.

[03:15] Real-Life Examples – From Chris Yano choosing home services to digital health agencies aligning with lifestyle values.

[03:45] Step 3 – Run the Numbers – A simple calculation to project realistic 3-year revenue potential in any vertical. [04:30] Example: The $7.9M Plumbing Opportunity – How focus creates both revenue and profitability through repeatable systems.

[05:00] The Confidence Factor – Why clarity on numbers eliminates guesswork and boosts certainty in your specialization path.

👉 If you’re ready to stop being a generalist and start building authority in one market, this episode gives you the exact framework to choose your vertical with confidence.

Resources & Links

🎥 Watch the full YouTube episode here: https://youtu.be/IjIOmiaW6CI

📝 Get the Focus Finder Worksheet: https://deep-specialization.kit.com/vertical-focus-finder-worksheet

📘 Discover how to become the go-to agency in a vertical market: https://www.anyonenoteveryone.com