Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What commission structure and KPI framework should we use for early-stage on-trade sales hires, and how should we handle wholesaler-attributed versus new account sales?
Members handle commission agreements and KPI expectations as separate formal documents included in the hiring process. **Structure and documentation:** - **LawDepot** — members use this website to draft commission agreements in-house, then include the agreement in the employment contract itself - **Separate KPI expectations letter** — send this as a standalone document for the new hire to sign, keeping performance metrics distinct from contractual terms **On-trade commission design (wholesaler vs. new accounts):** - The community has discussed the distinction between rewarding all sales into wholesalers versus attributing commission only to accounts the salesperson has personally won, but no consensus recommendation on % splits or bonus structures was shared in this discussion **Caveats:** This excerpt captures the process framework members use (LawDepot + dual-document approach) but does not include the specific commission percentages, bonus triggers, or the recommended approach to wholesaler attribution that members asked about. Members were actively seeking to share detailed structures via DM, suggesting best practices exist in the community but weren't posted in the main thread.
What commission rates do major online drink marketplaces charge, and is there room to negotiate?
Most members report fixed commission structures with limited negotiation potential, particularly at lower volumes. **NOTHS** charges around 25% base commission, with members reporting no success negotiating this rate down. Promotional features push costs significantly higher: members noted that opting into additional promotional activity increases **NOTHS** commission to 35%, which can become loss-making despite increased volumes. **Amazon** typically generates 4–5 times the sales volume compared to specialist retailers and traditional wine merchants, suggesting a tiered approach to marketplace strategy rather than reliance on a single channel. Members emphasise that commission negotiation is largely unsuccessful at smaller volumes, suggesting scale is a prerequisite for better terms.