When I hired a Business Developer at El-Shai, we agreed on a fair commission structure: a fixed rate for regular deals, and, for packaged deals with more work, we would discuss it case by case to be higher, not lower.
Her reaction was confusion. Not because the system was unclear, but because she had never seen a commission go up for higher deals.
She expected a lower commission, meaning she would be penalised for bringing in something bigger.
That moment said everything about the culture.
We keep punishing the people who bring the business and penalising anyone who brings in more money.
Commission systems around the world are built on one simple idea: If you bring value, you get rewarded for it.
Bigger deal, bigger commission.
More effort, more reward.
Simple.
In Egypt, the logic somehow flipped.
The bigger the deal, the smaller the commission.
The more complex the package, the more people expect you to “take one for the team”.
And at some point, the commission becomes so tiny it barely feels different from selling something cheap.
How the system ends up hurting the very people driving growth
People who bring in revenue are expected to negotiate, manage relationships, fight for budgets, follow up endlessly, and then… accept a lower commission “because the deal is big”.
It gets worse when office politics enter the room. Many people have experienced the classic line:
“You don’t deserve the commission because you got the deal from a client someone else knows.”
As if personal connections magically close contracts.
As if maintaining the relationship, pitching, negotiating, and landing the deal requires zero work.
This mindset kills motivation. It kills ambition. And it reduces the entire company’s potential, not just the salesperson’s.
Why does this culture exist in Egypt?
It’s built on three unhealthy habits:
1. Fear of “overpaying.”
Commission is seen as money “lost”, not a cost of acquiring business.
2. No standard policies
Most companies improvise due to mood and budgetary stress.
3. Ego and territory
The “this is my client” mentality, even when the client never signed anything with that person.
These habits make commission feel like a favour, not an earned right.
What a fair commission should look like
A fair structure is simple:
- If you get the deal, you get the commission.
- If you handle more work, your commission increases.
- If the deal is big, your commission still scales.
- Personal connections don’t mean someone else owns your results.
That’s how the rest of the world does it, and there’s a reason it works.
It rewards performance instead of shrinking it.
Why people need to start saying “no” to unfair commission models
Because they drag down entire industries.
Because they burn out talented people.
Because they teach sales teams to aim small, not big.
And because the people bringing in revenue are the last ones who should be treated like they’re asking for too much.
If Egypt wants stronger businesses, healthier work cultures, and actual growth, this is one of the easiest fixes to start with.
Reward the work. Reward the value. And stop acting like commission is a luxury we’re “too kind” to give.
