HOW DO YOU INCENTIVIZE YOUR SALES STAFF?
RETAILER ASK THE
“The No. 1 thing I can do as a busi- ness owner to keep our employees incentivized is to make it clear that I’m not the ‘boss,’ I’m a co- worker. Being a family-owned business, we treat them like fam- ily. I want them to feel like they own the business, too. They take it upon themselves to train and learn
more about our products, figure out new meth- ods for our repair shop, and order any products that might better serve our customers. They’re making the business better. We don’t have a set outline or schedule for incentives. They know that if the shop does better, they’ll do better. Sure, there’s an occasional bonus here and there, but the real incentive is providing a laid-back, comfort- able place of employment where my co-workers look forward to coming into work every day.”
“Great salespeople perform at their best when they know leadership is fully invested in helping them win. Our compensation structure rewards results, but we also share opportunities, develop talent and remain closely involved in every important deal across our markets. We promote a culture where ambitious people can build long-term careers.” Thomas Solich, Owner Solich Piano Cleveland
Paul Tobias, Owner Tobias Music Downers Grove, Illinois
“I’m maybe a little old-school, but I absolutely believe in the power of giving my team a piece of the action. My sales team gets a com - mission on everything they sell in addition to their hourly rate. From time to time, we also offer spiffs on certain items, often older stock. This gives them a little control over their own income and a huge in- centive to add on to the sale. The client leaves with everything they need to enjoy their purchase, and the salesperson makes more money to support their family.” Mike Guntren, President Ray’s Midbell Music Sioux City, Iowa
“I’ll never forget the moment I had a former team member say, ‘Why should I get up and answer the back door when I don’t get
money for that?’ It hit me hard. I had a person fully invested in what they do for the store, but not for the store itself. We have learned not
to build incentive structures that work against us. Rather, we try to hire right, get people that understand how to take an interest in the total operation and pay a fair wage outside of commission.” Tim Grant, President
Ellis County Music Waxahachie, Texas
54 I MUSIC INC. I SEPTEMBER 2026
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