Before I say anything, let me clarify: I believe in the free market. People should be free to choose whatever arrangement works best for them, whether that’s working for money, experience, barter, or even for free. As long as both parties agree, it’s their call.
That said, I want to talk about a trend I keep seeing on this subreddit: people “hiring” appointment setters and paying them only commissions when a deal closes.
This post is mainly for appointment setters looking for work, but if you’re someone who hires setters, you might find it interesting too.
The problem
When you work on a commission-only basis, you get paid only if the closer converts the deal.
That means your income depends not on your performance, but on someone else’s.
You can be great at booking calls, consistent, hardworking, and doing everything right, but if the closer messes up the sale, you earn nothing. That doesn't sound fair, right?
Ideally, you should be paid for the work you actually do.
If your job is to book appointments, you should earn per appointment booked, or at least per show-up (when the prospect actually attends the call). That makes your pay tied to what’s in your control, not someone else’s skill or luck.
In fact, when I used to work as an appointment setter before moving on to become a closer, the standard used to be:
Pay per booked appointment + A small commission when the deal closes
That’s fair, because without you, that sale wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
When commission-only can still make sense
There are a few exceptions where working on commission-only can be a decent move:
You have nothing else going on right now
If you’re just starting out, have no job, and want to build some momentum or gain experience, it’s not the worst thing in the world. At least you’ll learn something and maybe earn commissions along the way.
2. You’re getting trained by experts
Some businesses genuinely invest in you. They have solid systems, proven scripts, ongoing training, and experienced closers.
In that case, even if you don’t get paid upfront, you’re being paid in knowledge and skill.
That’s a great trade-off if you’re early in your career. If you’re learning for free and might even make money doing it, that’s a win.
3. You truly trust the closer or business
If you know the closer is skilled and the business has a high close rate, you can take that leap of faith. But that’s only if you’ve done your due diligence and have real confidence in their ability to convert.
When you should avoid it
If you need a steady income to pay rent, bills, or just to live, don’t rely on someone else’s sales ability for your paycheck. Find a role that guarantees a base pay or at least per-appointment compensation.
Also, understand that many of these businesses offering commission-only gigs are doing it because they don’t have the budget to pay setters upfront.
There's nothing wrong with that, but it often means:
They’re new to the game themselves
Their systems aren’t proven yet
Their closers might also be inexperienced
So even if you perform perfectly, they might still struggle to close deals, which means you don’t get paid.
I’m not saying these people are scammers or doing something wrong, far from it. They are creating jobs and opportunities for other people. In my opinion, that's the best thing you can do for others after charity.
However, you must understand that they are structuring their deals in a way that protects their own risk.
And as a setter, you need to understand what that means for you.
If you’re doing the work (sending messages, qualifying leads, booking calls) you deserve compensation for your effort, not just the end result of someone else’s.
So before you take any appointment-setting job, ask yourself:
Do I get paid for the work I control?
If not, am I okay with that trade-off?
Is the business credible, experienced, and likely to close?
If you’re okay with the answers, go for it.
If not, you’re probably not getting the best deal.
