Why I Push Back on Full-Time Sales Hires

I push back when businesses with 0-1 closers doing under $100k/month want to hire "full-time" sales reps. Not because it’s impossible, but because it’s a massive risk for both the business and the rep.

(Note: We won't even talk about the ambiguity of "full-time/part-time" definitions, but for our purposes here, let's assume it means being on one offer vs. two or more.)

The Full-Time Hiring Trap

To be clear—I’m not a fan of hiring full-time at all, especially the way it’s typically done in this industry.

Demanding exclusivity or “no deal” isn’t just bad business—it’s illegal in the U.S. under IRS rules on independent contractors. (Reference: IRS Independent Contractor Guidelines)

Contractors have the LEGAL RIGHT to work multiple offers unless they’re direct employees. Not an opinion. Not a grey area. It’s federal law.

Now, I get it. Some companies CAN support full-time reps, and some reps prefer to focus on one offer at a time. In those cases, it "works."

But speaking broadly? It’s a big mistake.

85% of Reps Churn—And It’s Not Their Fault

Turnover in this space is 85%. If 85% of reps are churning, that’s not a rep problem—that’s a business model problem.

Do the math. Words talk. Numbers scream.

This isn’t opinion—this is hard data. If 85% of reps are churning, that’s a clear sign the current model is broken.

“Our Model Requires Reps to Be All-In” … No, It Doesn’t.

Some companies say, “Our model requires reps to be all-in.”

Ehhhhhh, no.

If your business is stable, has strong lead flow, and is a great place to work, reps will naturally commit more time—why wouldn't they?

If you have to force full-time, that’s a sign of a deeper issue.

Startups Are Small Ships in a Big Ocean

A quick search on business survival rates tells you:

• 50% of companies don’t make it to Year 5.
• Of the half that do, only 10-20% actually become sustainable and profitable.

Translation? 8-9 out of 10 sales offers are teeny tiny sinking ships—captained by egos bigger than the ship itself.

If you’re hiring full-time without hedging your downside risk, you’re putting all your eggs in a basket with an 80-90% failure rate.

Reps Aren’t Lazy—They’re Just Smarter Than You Think

It’s not that “reps are lazy.” It’s that many offers expect them to:

? Make up for inconsistent marketing (aka, work way harder for the same revenue). ? Operate in a sales process that isn’t dialed in (vs. closing in a machine with 10+ reps doing $2M/month). ? Rely entirely on a business that doesn’t have the lead flow to sustain them month over month.

Reps don’t churn because they don’t want to work. They churn because they can’t afford to stay when things slow down.

One-Offer Dependency Is a Recipe for Disaster

If your entire income is tied to one offer and that offer has a bad month, you’re financially trapped.

This is like sitting at a single blackjack table in the casino, going all-in every hand. Sure, you might win for a while. But when the inevitable downturn happens, you’re wiped out.

? SMART players hedge their bets. ? They split their stakes across multiple tables. ? They play for long-term gains, not short-term wins.

Same for companies trying to minimize turnover.

A rep who has their survival income covered with another offer is way less likely to churn.

It’s the difference between playing with house money vs. betting the car keys.

Part-Time ≠ Uncommitted

An btw, "part-time” doesn’t mean “uncommitted.”

Great reps will prioritize where they make the most money. If your offer is strong, they’ll naturally spend more time on it.

But if you demand exclusivity upfront, you’re forcing them into an all-or-nothing gamble— and that’s exactly how you lose good people.

A $2-3k dip in income is manageable. A $6-12k drop? That’s when people start looking elsewhere.

What’s the Fix? Hedge Your Downside Risk.

If you want long-term retention and a sustainable model, do it legally and intelligently.

?? Treat contractors like plumbers. You don’t tell a plumber they can’t fix other people’s pipes.

? You book their time. ? You pay them fairly. ? And if they like working with you, they’ll prioritize your work.

?? If you have a full calendar to offer, split it between two solid reps. One rep burning out is worse than two reps thriving. It works better for both you AND the reps.

?? Hedge your downside risk. If you’ve actually got great marketing and lead flow dialed in (not 30 days in— but ACTUALLY dialed in), and your reps want more hours?

? Scale it up slowly and steadily.

But forcing full-time, demanding exclusivity, and ignoring market realities? That’s a recipe for churn that you’ll never notice because you’ll be too busy blaming ‘lazy reps’ instead of fixing your offer.