Suppliers

What Is a Supplier?

In the commission-only model, a Supplier is any company that delivers a product or service to end clients. You create the value that gets sold. Connectors open the doors that lead to your customers.

Suppliers range from software companies to professional services firms, from manufacturers to consultancies. What they share is a desire to grow without adding to fixed payroll costs.

The Case for Commission-Only Distribution

Traditional sales hiring is expensive and risky:

• Base salaries consume runway regardless of results
• Hiring takes months; knowing if it worked takes longer
• Bad hires are expensive to remedy
• Sales training investments walk out the door with departing employees
• Territory restrictions limit flexibility

What Makes Suppliers Attractive to Connectors

Not all suppliers attract quality partners. Connectors are selective. They want:

A Product Worth Representing

Connectors stake their reputation on every introduction. They need a product or service they can stand behind. Quality matters more than commission rates.

Fair Commission Structures

Rates should reflect the value the connector brings. Too low, and good partners will not engage. Too high, and the economics do not work. Fairness builds long-term partnerships.

Professional Support

Connectors need materials, training, and responsive contacts within your organisation. They cannot sell what they do not understand. They cannot follow up if you do not respond.

Clear Terms and Reliable Payment

Contracts should be unambiguous. Commission calculations should be transparent. Payments should arrive on time, every time. Nothing kills partnerships faster than payment disputes.

Respect for Their Professionalism

Connectors are not employees. They are partners. Treat them as professionals running their own businesses, not as resources to be managed.

How to Succeed as a Supplier

Suppliers who thrive in commission-only partnerships typically:

• Have a clear value proposition that can be articulated simply
• Understand their ideal customer profile precisely
• Offer competitive commission rates for their industry
• Provide responsive support to their connector partners
• Honor every commitment, especially around payment
• Invest in connector relationships as strategic assets

The Platform Fee

When using a structured platform for commission-only partnerships, there is typically a small platform fee (often 1% of deal value) that supports the infrastructure: matching, contracts, tracking, and settlement.

This fee is paid by the supplier as a cost of access to governed, transparent partnerships. It is not a cost to the connector, who retains 100% of their agreed commission.

Getting Started

To participate as a supplier:

1. Define your ideal connector profile (industry, network, experience)
2. Create a clear description of your product and target market
3. Establish fair commission terms
4. Prepare materials and support resources
5. List your sales partnership and evaluate interested connectors

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See also: Connectors to understand who you will be partnering with, or Alliances for ongoing partnership structures.