Short answer: Here are ten example commission plans for the most common sales roles, from SDR and account executive to key account manager, sales manager and partner manager. Each plan has an overview, a worked example in Danish kroner (DKK) at 70%, 100% and 130% of target, common pitfalls and the Danish rules you need to know. The table below shows which plan type fits which role.
The examples are illustrative, not benchmarks. They show how the plans calculate, not what a given role should earn. All amounts are before pension.
All ten plans
| Role | Plan type | Pay mix | OTE in the example | Main metric | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDR and BDR | Meeting bonus and commission on closed-won deals | 70/30 | DKK 540,000 a year | Qualified meetings and ARR from closed-won deals | Month |
| Account executive | Flat rate, accelerator and threshold | 60/40 | DKK 840,000 a year | New ARR | Quarter |
| Account executive on multi-year deals | Rate x contract-length multiplier | 60/40 | DKK 840,000 a year | ACV | Quarter |
| Account manager | Expansion commission and NRR bonus | 70/30 | DKK 720,000 a year | Expansion and NRR | Year (commission quarterly) |
| Account manager on renewals | GRR bonus | 75/25 | DKK 600,000 a year | GRR | Quarter |
| Customer success manager | Bonus on GRR and NRR | 80/20 | DKK 570,000 a year | GRR and NRR | Quarter |
| Key account manager | Gross margin commission with accelerator | 70/30 | DKK 780,000 a year | Gross margin | Quarter |
| Inside sales and telesales | Tiers per sale and activity bonus | 70/30 | DKK 504,000 a year | Number of sales | Month |
| Sales manager and team lead | Team override and own quota | 60/40 | DKK 900,000 a year | Team and own new ARR | Quarter |
| Partner manager | Commission on partner-sourced and partner-influenced ARR | 65/35 | DKK 720,000 a year | Partner-sourced ARR | Quarter |
How to choose a plan type by role
Start with what the role actually controls. The plan should pay for what the employee can influence, not for what others do. If you are making your first sales hire, read our guide to hiring your first salesperson.
- Creates meetings but does not close: a bonus per qualified meeting and a smaller commission on closed-won deals. See the SDR plan.
- Closes new customers: a rate on new ARR or order value with an accelerator above quota. See the AE plan and the multi-year deal plan.
- Owns existing customers: NRR when the role both retains and expands (account manager), GRR when it only renews (renewals), and a bonus when it does not close deals itself (customer success).
- Negotiates price: commission on gross margin, so a discount costs the rep too. See the KAM plan.
- Many small sales: an amount per sale in tiers. See the inside sales plan.
- Leads others: an override on the team's result and possibly a small own quota. See the sales manager plan.
- Sells through other companies: commission on partner-sourced revenue. See the partner manager plan.
The building blocks in every plan
All ten examples are built from the same parts. Once you know them, you can adapt a plan to your own role. Each part also exists as a model with its own worked example, such as accelerator with cliff, capped commission, target bonus, activity-based bonus, retention-based commission and contract-term multiplier.
| Building block | What it decides |
|---|---|
| OTE | Total pay at 100% of target: base salary plus variable pay. |
| Pay mix | The split between fixed and variable pay, for example 70/30. |
| Target or quota | The number that equals 100%: meetings, ARR, gross margin, number of sales or NRR. |
| Rate | Variable pay at 100% divided by the target. For example DKK 84,000 / DKK 840,000 = 10%. |
| Accelerator and threshold | A higher rate above target and possibly a minimum before anything is paid. |
| Payout | How often and when: month, quarter or year, and whether commission is earned at signature, invoice or payment. |
| Clawback | What happens if the customer cancels or does not pay. |
How were the numbers chosen?
OTE in the examples ranges from DKK 504,000 to DKK 900,000 a year, so the differences between roles are clear. They are worked examples, not pay levels. For comparison, B2B sales reps (ISCO 3322) in Denmark earned DKK 58,892 a month on average in 2025 and sales and marketing managers (ISCO 1221) DKK 91,244, both including pension and bonus (Statistics Denmark, LONS20). Those figures, and comparable figures for Sweden and Norway, are in Nordic sales salaries, and pay for 12 sales roles is in the sales salary guide.
Typical rates and pay mix by role are covered in commission rates by role. How many salespeople companies have relative to headcount is shown in salespeople per employee.
Danish rules apply to every plan
Most employed salespeople in Denmark are salaried employees under the Salaried Employees Act (funktionærloven), and the same rules apply whichever plan you choose. Short and general, not legal advice:
- Commission gives a right to compensation for commission lost during holiday (Holiday Act sections 17 and 19). See holiday pay on commission.
- Pay during sickness and maternity leave must include the commission the employee would presumably have earned (funktionærloven section 9(3)). See commission during sick leave.
- Someone who leaves during the financial year is entitled to a proportional share of bonuses and similar payments (section 17 a). See commission after resignation.
- A material change to the plan must be notified with the employee's individual notice period. Put the rules in your commission agreement.
Templates and calculators
Once you have chosen a plan, write it down in the commission plan template and attach the commission agreement template to the employment contract. Bonuses go in the bonus agreement template. Run your own numbers with Prowi's free calculators, for example the commission accelerator calculator, the tiered commission calculator and the OTE calculator.
How Prowi helps
Prowi calculates the plan live from your CRM data, reps follow their earnings in the app, and once the period is approved the amount goes on to payroll. Book a demo to see your own plan calculated.
FAQ
What is a commission plan?
A document describing how a rep's variable pay is calculated: targets, rates, period, payout and rules for things like clawbacks and absence. Read more about commission plans.
How do you create a commission plan for salespeople?
Start with the role and what it can influence. Choose OTE and pay mix, set the target, work out the rate as variable pay divided by target, and test the plan at 70%, 100% and 130% of target before it goes out.
Should every rep have the same commission plan?
No. Roles that create meetings, close deals, retain customers or lead others influence different numbers. Use one plan per role, and keep their structure as similar as possible.
Are the numbers in the examples normal?
They are illustrative but realistic in size. Use them to understand the mechanics, and compare your own levels with official pay statistics.
Sources
- Statistics Denmark, Statbank table LONS20, standardised monthly earnings by occupation (DISCO 1221 and 3322), 2025. statistikbanken.dk/LONS20
- Danish Salaried Employees Act (funktionærloven), consolidated act no. 1002 of 24/08/2017, sections 9 and 17 a. retsinformation.dk
- Danish Holiday Act (ferieloven), consolidated act no. 152 of 20/02/2024, sections 17 and 19. retsinformation.dk