Internal Negotiation Brief

Fixxa — Sales Director
Terms, Money Math & the First 90 Days

Everything needed to walk into the meeting with a position, a floor, a walk-away, and a plan for what happens after the handshake.

Prepared forJames Clarke
CounterpartyLevi Johnson · Fixxa
RoleSales Director (90-day term)
Versionv1 · August 2026
Internal — never deploy · local file only
Summary

At a Glance

Three structures. Same job. Very different economics depending on how much of the dormant pipeline actually converts.

Open with

$7,500/mo + 7.5% GP

Plus a $5,000 milestone bonus and an accelerator above $250K of gross profit.

Land at

$6,500/mo + 6% GP

The realistic middle. Still a real base, still real upside.

Floor

$5,000/mo + 10% GP

Only acceptable if the commission is genuinely aggressive and survives the term.

The one thing that matters most

The base is a rounding error. Whether commission survives the contract term and whether dormant-pipeline recoveries qualify are worth more than the entire base combined. Win those two clauses and lose the base argument if it comes to it.

Unverified inputs

The ~$6MM dormant pipeline figure came from Levi and has not been independently reviewed. Every dollar figure in this document is an illustrative model, not a projection, forecast, or promise. Gross margin is assumed at 40% purely to make the math legible — the real number is unknown until the data is seen. This is a business negotiation framework, not legal advice; have counsel review final language.

Section 01

Define the Role Before the Money

The contract has to say the job is building and leading the sales function — not making sales calls. That single distinction is what justifies the base, the override on other people's closes, and the Day-90 renegotiation.

Sales Leadership & Buildout

  • Develop and implement Fixxa's sales process
  • Establish pipeline stages and sales KPIs
  • Analyze the existing and dormant pipeline
  • Build quote follow-up procedures
  • Improve quote-to-close conversion
  • Develop scripts and objection-handling processes

Organizational Accountability

  • Train sales and estimating personnel
  • Establish sales forecasting and reporting
  • Identify new revenue channels
  • Recommend sales staffing and structure
  • Report sales performance directly to leadership
Access clause — put this in writing

"The Director shall have reasonable access to customer, quote, CRM, financial, and operational information necessary to perform these responsibilities."

You cannot be held accountable for revenue while being denied the data that explains it.

Section 02

The Three Contract Offers

Structured as a ladder, not three separate ideas. Offer A is what you say out loud. Offer B is where this most likely lands. Offer C is what you accept only when the commission carries the deal.

Offer A · The Opening Ask
Prove-It Premium
Modest base, aggressive upside, accelerator
Monthly base
$7,500 / month
Commission
7.5% of gross profit on qualifying sales
Accelerator
10% on gross profit above $250,000
Performance bonus
Up to $5,000 at Day 90
Term
90 days, Day-90 review built in
90-day guaranteed floor $22,500 $27,500 including the full bonus
Offer B · The Landing Zone
Balanced Build
The realistic settle point
Monthly base
$6,500 / month
Commission
6% of gross profit on qualifying sales
Accelerator
None
Performance bonus
Up to $5,000 at Day 90
Term
90 days, Day-90 review built in
90-day guaranteed floor $19,500 $24,500 including the full bonus
Offer C · The Floor
Low Base, Max Upside
Only with real commission teeth
Monthly base
$5,000 / month
Commission
10% of gross profit on qualifying sales
Accelerator
None needed at this rate
Performance bonus
Up to $2,500 at Day 90
Term
90 days, Day-90 review built in
90-day guaranteed floor $15,000 $17,500 including the full bonus
Condition on Offer C

A $5,000 base is only defensible if dormant-pipeline recoveries explicitly qualify and commissions survive expiration of the term. Without both, Offer C is a $15,000 job with a lottery ticket attached. With both, it is the highest-ceiling structure on the table.

Section 03

The Money Math

What each offer actually pays across five recovery scenarios over the 90-day term.

Model assumptions

  • Gross margin: 40% — assumed, not verified. Gross profit = recovered revenue × 0.40.
  • Full performance bonus earned in every scenario.
  • Revenue shown is collected revenue attributable to qualifying sales inside the term.
  • Every figure is illustrative modeling, not a forecast.

90-day total compensation by scenario

Scenario Revenue recovered Gross profit @40% Offer A Offer B Offer C
Nothing converts $0$0 $27,500$24,500$17,500
Slow start $100,000$40,000 $30,500$26,900$21,500
Working $250,000$100,000 $35,000$30,500$27,500
Strong $500,000$200,000 $42,500$36,500$37,500
Very strong $1,000,000$400,000 $61,250$48,500$57,500
Home run $2,000,000$800,000 $101,250$72,500$97,500
Offer A includes the accelerator: 7.5% on the first $250,000 of gross profit, 10% on everything above it.

The same numbers as a monthly average

ScenarioOffer A / moOffer B / moOffer C / mo
Nothing converts$9,167$8,167$5,833
Working ($250K)$11,667$10,167$9,167
Strong ($500K)$14,167$12,167$12,500
Very strong ($1MM)$20,417$16,167$19,167
Home run ($2MM)$33,750$24,167$32,500
The crossover

Offer C overtakes Offer B at roughly $175,000 of gross profit — about $437,000 of recovered revenue. Below that line, the higher base wins. Above it, the higher commission wins and keeps winning. If the dormant pipeline is real, Offer C outperforms Offer B by more than $25,000 in the strong scenarios.

Offer A beats both at every level modeled here. That is why it is the opening ask.

What each dollar of commission is worth

StructurePer $100K revenue recoveredPer $1MM recovered
Offer A — 7.5% GP (pre-accelerator)$3,000$33,750
Offer B — 6% GP$2,400$24,000
Offer C — 10% GP$4,000$40,000
If the real gross margin comes in at 30% instead of 40%, every commission figure in this document drops by a quarter. Confirm the margin before agreeing to a percentage.
Section 04

The Negotiation Ladder

Internal only. Never shown, never described out loud.

RungStructureRead
Ask$7,500/mo + 7.5% GP + accelerator + $5K bonusOpen here. Say it plainly, then stop talking.
Good$7,500/mo + 5% GP + $5K bonusAccept. Push the accelerator to the Day-90 review instead.
Good$6,500/mo + 7.5% GPAccept. Trading $3K of base for real upside is a good trade.
Acceptable$5,000–6,000/mo + 7.5–10% GPAccept only with survival + dormant-qualification clauses intact.
Question itUnder $5,000/mo with weak commissionThat is hiring a rep, not a Sales Director. Reprice or restructure the role.
The framing that makes a lower base a strength "I don't think it makes sense for me to come in asking for a huge fixed number when I haven't proven myself in this particular industry yet. I'd rather have a reasonable base and meaningful upside tied to the results I produce. If I show I can materially increase revenue, then we revisit the economics after 90 days." Translation: bet on me, but don't take a big risk. And if I win, I expect to participate in the win.
Section 05

Clauses That Decide the Deal

The compensation number is the headline. These are the paragraphs that determine what it's actually worth.

1 · Define "Gross Profit"

Customer payments actually collected by Fixxa, minus directly attributable job costs. Agree in writing exactly which costs are deducted — labor, materials, subcontractors — and whether overhead is excluded. Ambiguity here is where commission disappears.

2 · Define "Qualifying Sales" in three buckets

Bucket A

Dormant pipeline

Any opportunity that existed before the start date, was previously quoted, was not actively being worked, and subsequently closes as a result of direct efforts or the sales system built. This is the whole reason the job exists.

Bucket B

New opportunities

Any new opportunity generated after the start date that closes during the contract term.

Bucket C

Team-generated sales

Sales closed by personnel operating under the sales function. Negotiate a lower override — 2–3% of gross profit. Establish the principle now even if the rate is compromised.

3 · Make commission payment unambiguous

Why the survival clause is non-negotiable

Without it, a deal closed in Month 3 that pays in Month 4 can be erased by simply letting the contract expire at Day 90. That clause protects more money than the base does.

4 · Freeze the list

The dormant-quote list gets frozen and documented at signature. What's on that list at signing is what qualifies. This prevents any later argument about which opportunities were "already being worked."

5 · Milestone bonus, not a revenue bonus

MilestoneOffer A / BOffer C
Pipeline audit completed + baseline established$1,250$625
Sales process and follow-up system implemented$1,250$625
Sales reporting, KPIs, and forecasting operational$1,250$625
Demonstrable improvement + 12-month sales strategy delivered$1,250$625
Total$5,000$2,500
Tying the bonus to deliverables rather than to a revenue number keeps it inside your control.

6 · The remaining checklist

The clause that protects the two-year goal

90-Day Review and Continued Engagement. "Within 15 days prior to expiration of the initial term, the parties will meet to review performance, sales results, pipeline development, and the Company's future sales requirements, and negotiate in good faith a subsequent agreement governing the Director's ongoing role and compensation."

Say the rest out loud: "I'm not looking at this as a three-month gig. The first three months prove what I can do. If I produce, I want us to build the long-term economics around the value I'm creating."

Section 06

The Meeting: Sequence, Not a Pitch

Money comes last. Scope, authority, and access come first — because they're what justify the number.

  1. "Let's talk about what you actually want me to own."
    Establishes this is a function, not a headcount.
  2. "What would make you say at the end of 90 days, 'James was absolutely worth bringing in'?"
    His answer becomes the milestone bonus and the Day-90 review criteria. Write down the exact words.
  3. "What authority do I have to change the sales process?"
    Responsibility without authority is a trap.
  4. "What data and systems will I have access to?"
    Sets up the access clause.
  5. "Walk me through what happens after a contractor meets a customer and creates a quote."
    Maps the existing human infrastructure — including where the project managers sit.
  6. "Let's define the 90-day deliverables."
  7. Then, and only then, compensation.
The compensation line "Given the scope we're talking about, I'd propose $7,500 a month for the leadership and buildout component, plus 7.5% of gross profit on qualifying sales — that's sales I directly generate or recover during the 90 days. Then a performance component of up to $5,000 at Day 90, based on milestones we agree on together." Then stop. Let him react first. Do not fill the silence.

What a very good outcome looks like

Signed on paper

  • 90-day contract
  • Base in the $6,500–$7,500 range
  • Gross-profit commission with defined terms
  • Qualifying sales defined across all three buckets
  • Commission survives expiration
  • Full pipeline and CRM access
  • Authority to change the sales process
  • Milestone-based performance bonus
  • 30-day termination provision
  • Day-90 compensation review

Agreed verbally

That the long-term structure will include meaningful participation in the sales organization being built — overrides, profit participation, or equity — reviewed at Day 90.

Do not get distracted by $6,500 versus $7,500. The real negotiation is what percentage of the economic value created you ultimately participate in.

Section 07

Baseline: The First 15–30 Days

No targets get agreed until these numbers exist. Establishing them is also the first bonus milestone.

Volume & value

  • Current quote volume
  • Current quote value
  • Average job size
  • Average gross margin
  • Existing active pipeline
  • Dormant pipeline — real, verified size

Conversion & velocity

  • Lead-to-estimate conversion
  • Estimate-to-quote conversion
  • Quote-to-close conversion
  • Current close rate
  • Average sales cycle length

The weekly report to Levi

TierKPIWhy it's on the list
PrimaryRevenue generatedThe only number that settles arguments
PrimaryGross profit generatedDirectly ties to commission
PrimaryQuote-to-close rateThe core conversion lever
SecondaryPipeline valueLeading indicator
SecondaryFollow-up completion rateProcess discipline, visible early
SecondaryAverage ticketDetects option/offer effects
SecondarySales cycle lengthDetects presentation effects
SecondaryDormant pipeline reactivationThe headline story of the 90 days
Before committing to any percentage

The dormant pipeline could be $6MM of legitimate opportunity, or $6MM of 18-month-old quotes where nobody answers the phone. Determining which is the first job. It is also the difference between Offer C being the best deal on the table and the worst.

One more unknown that changes the entire approach: whether those quotes are residential homeowners or commercial. B2B enrichment tooling has near-zero consumer coverage.

Section 08

The 90-Day Experiment Roadmap

Not a list of twenty things to implement. Find the biggest conversion opportunities, run controlled experiments, measure, and turn the winners into Fixxa's standard process.

Priority order

#ExperimentImpactEffortWhen
1Quote presentation + decision appointmentVery highLowWeek 1–2
2High-value quote rescueVery highLowWeek 1
3Personalized video follow-upHighLowWeek 1–2
4Dedicated sales ownershipVery highMediumWeek 1–3
5Dormant pipeline reactivationVery highMediumImmediately
6Pre-quote commitment / objection discoveryHighLowWeek 2–3
7Structured follow-up cadenceHighLow–MedWeek 2–4
8Lost deal intelligenceHighLowWeek 2 onward
9Relevant project proofMed–HighMediumWeek 3–6
10Good / Better / Best offersHighMediumWeek 4–8
11Vikter sales prioritizationVery highMed–HighWeek 4–8
12AI sales rescue briefsHighMediumWeek 6–10
13No-decision nurture systemMed–HighMediumWeek 6–12
14Objection library + playbookHighMediumOngoing
15Conversation / call intelligencePotentially transformationalHighLater

Tier 1 — Run these first

Experiment 01

Quote presentation + decision appointment

Hypothesis: a quote that is actively presented and discussed closes at a higher rate than a quote simply sent.

CURRENT   Estimate → Quote sent → Customer decides
TEST      Estimate → Quote prepared → Appointment scheduled → Live walkthrough → Decision

The appointment can be: phone, video, in person, or a recorded walkthrough followed by a scheduled call. The point is that the customer doesn't receive a number and disappear into the void.

KPI: quote-to-close rate. Secondary: review appointment rate, time from quote to decision, average job value, gross profit per quote.

Experiment 02

High-value quote rescue

Hypothesis: valuable opportunities are sitting dormant and can be recovered through timely, personalized human outreach.

Start narrow. Quotes above an agreed value threshold, recent enough to still be viable, with no documented follow-up in X days and no confirmed competitor loss. Build a Quote Rescue List. Every opportunity on it gets a CRM review, personalized outreach, a phone call, video where appropriate, requalification, and a clear next step.

KPI: revenue reactivated, opportunities re-engaged, quote-to-conversation rate, quote-to-close rate, gross profit recovered.

Experiment 03

Personalized video follow-up

Hypothesis: a personalized video outperforms generic text or email follow-up because it creates trust, attention, and connection.

Don't send every customer a video. Split comparable opportunities into a control group receiving normal follow-up and a test group receiving a personalized walkthrough showing their proposal, their visualization, key scope decisions, the recommendation, and the next step.

KPI: response rate, appointment rate, quote-to-close rate, time to response.

Experiment 04

Dedicated sales ownership

Hypothesis: quotes die because nobody specifically owns converting them.

Every active opportunity gets exactly one Sales Owner, responsible for current status, next step, follow-up, objections, moving the deal forward, and closing it or formally losing it. This does not remove the contractor — the contractor stays the expert. Somebody owns the commercial process.

KPI: percentage of opportunities with a defined next step, follow-up completion, aging quotes, quote-to-close rate, pipeline velocity.

Experiment 05

Dormant pipeline reactivation

Hypothesis: the dormant pipeline contains multiple categories of opportunity that should not all be treated the same way.

TierDefinitionAction
A — Act nowHigh value, likely viablePersonal outreach immediately
B — RequalifyWorth contacting, uncertainRequalification call
C — NurtureNot ready, future businessInto the nurture system
D — DeadClosed or lostDocument why, stop spending time

KPI: total recoverable pipeline identified, pipeline reactivated, revenue closed, requalification rate, future opportunity value created.

Tier 2 — High-value conversion experiments

06

Pre-quote commitment / objection discovery

Before the contractor leaves the estimate: "Assuming the proposal comes back in line with what we've discussed, is there anything that would prevent you from moving forward?" Then silence.

Surfaces budget limits, spouse approval, timing, competing bids, insurance, financing, and scope disagreement before the quote is built.

07

Structured follow-up cadence

Day 0 presentation → Day 1 personalized check-in → Day 3 call → Day 7 project-specific follow-up → Day 14 re-engagement, then transition based on the customer's situation.

Consistent, not robotic. The CRM may already support most of it.

08

Lost deal intelligence

Capture, for every meaningful loss: who they hired, competitor price if known, why they chose them, whether price was the real reason, what they liked about Fixxa, what could have been done differently.

For major deals, call: "We're not calling to change your decision. We're trying to improve. What ultimately drove your choice?"

09

Relevant project proof

Not a generic gallery. A completed project similar to theirs, in a relevant area — before, after, project details, timeline, testimonial.

Requires organizing completed work into reusable sales assets.

Tier 3 — After the data is understood

10

Good / Better / Best

Replace "one project = $18,500" with Essential (solves the core problem), Recommended (Fixxa's preferred approach), Premium (enhanced outcome).

Test by project type. Don't roll it out everywhere because it sounds good.

11

Vikter sales prioritization

Shift the question from "who should I call?" to "here are today's highest-value opportunities." Signals: quote value, quote age, last contact, engagement, proposal views, project type, lead source, historical close patterns.

Explore what Vikter already does before building anything new.

12

AI sales rescue briefs

System-generated context and a recommended next action: value, days since quote, days since human contact, known concern, proposal view count, recommended action, suggested opener.

13–15

Nurture, objection library, conversation intelligence

A "Not Now / No Decision" category with real re-engagement triggers. An objection library built from actual conversations with tested responses. Eventually, call analysis to find what successful sales conversations have in common.


The 90-day sequence

PhaseObjectiveWhat runs
Days 1–14
Don't build
Find out where the money is before building anything large Pipeline segmentation · high-value quote rescue · quote presentation test · personalized video test · dedicated ownership · lost-deal intelligence
Days 15–45
Double down
Expand what the early data proves Scale the winners · structured follow-up · pre-quote objection discovery · relevant project proof · initial objection library
Days 45–90
Build leverage
Turn winning experiments into the standard operating system Vikter prioritization · AI sales briefs · lead and quote scoring · nurture automation · team training · forecasting · sales hiring requirements

The experiment scorecard

ExperimentHypothesisControlTestPrimary KPIDecision
Quote presentationLive review improves close rateEmail onlyLive reviewClose %Scale / Kill
Personalized videoVideo improves responseNormal follow-upVideoResponse %Scale / Kill
Quote rescuePersonal outreach recovers dormant dealsNo outreachRescue sequence$ recoveredScale / Kill
What Day 90 should sound like

"We tested twelve things. These four materially improved results. These three didn't work. Here's exactly where Fixxa makes and loses money. Here's the sales system we built around what the data proved."

That is a substantially stronger position at the renegotiation than "I wrote a playbook and trained some people."

Section 09

Role Integration: Contractor, Project Manager, Sales

Fixxa already has project managers — Gabriel works out of the San Luis Obispo office. Do not design a new customer-facing role until the existing human infrastructure is mapped.

The likely shape

                    JAMES — SALES DIRECTOR
                 Owns the system, pipeline, process,
                    coaching, and revenue
                              │
                              ▼
      CUSTOMER  ←→  CONTRACTOR / ESTIMATOR
                              │
                              ▼
                      PROJECT MANAGER

The customer does not need to know that anyone is managing a sales machine. Making sure every quote gets the right follow-up, every opportunity has a next step, and the team knows how to handle objections may be far more valuable than personally becoming the salesperson on every deal.

Three scenarios — the answer changes the design

ScenarioWhat it meansWhat gets built
A — PMs enter only after the sale Clean separation, but a gap between quote and signature Contractor + sales function work together until the customer commits
B — PMs are already involved before the sale The customer-facing layer already exists Improve the PM function instead of adding a person to the journey
C — PMs are doing sales follow-up inconsistently Wrong people own it, no process, nobody measuring Redesign responsibility and priority, not headcount
Scenario C is the most likely and the biggest opportunity. If Gabriel says "honestly, I have no idea what happens to half the quotes," the first major win has been found.

If a customer-facing role is needed: one relationship, multiple experts

Internally: contractor owns technical expertise, the sales function owns the buying process, operations owns scheduling and execution. Externally, the customer should experience a Fixxa team — not a handoff from the person who understood their project to the person whose job is to sell them something.

Bad model

CUSTOMER
   ↓
CONTRACTOR
   ↓
HANDOFF
   ↓
SALES GUY

Customer reads it as: "now they're trying to sell me."

Better model

            CONTRACTOR
                │
CUSTOMER ───── FIXXA TEAM
                │
          PROJECT ADVISOR

Two people on the same team, different parts of the project.

Naming

Not "salesperson." Project Advisor, Project Consultant, Client Project Manager, or Project Concierge. Internally it is sales. Externally the function is real: helping the customer understand options, make decisions, coordinate the proposal, and move the project forward.

The customer journey

Stage 1 · The contractor owns discovery

Site visit, rapport, diagnosis, scope, measurements, technical expertise. The customer thinks "this person understands my project." Do not disturb that.

Stage 2 · Introduce the advisor before the quote goes out

Contractor, before leaving the estimate "I'm going to get everything put together for you. James works with me on the project side and will help make sure the proposal reflects what we discussed and answer any questions while you're reviewing the options. I'll still be involved on the technical side." One sentence, and the entire dynamic changes. You're introduced by the trusted expert instead of appearing out of nowhere.

Stage 3 · The contractor's project brief

Two to five minutes, not twenty. Voice note into the phone, AI turns it into structured CRM data:

Contractor voice note "Met with Sarah and Tom. They want the exterior painted before Thanksgiving. Biggest concern is the condition of the south-facing siding. They liked the darker color option. Getting two other bids. Tom is concerned about price, Sarah is more concerned about quality."

Captures: what they want · biggest concerns · personal context · budget signals · timeline · decision-makers · technical requirements · objections already surfaced · what excited them · what could stop the sale.

Stage 4 · First contact that isn't a cold call

Advisor introduction "Hey Sarah, it's James. Mike mentioned you'd talked about the exterior paint and the concerns with the south-facing side. I've been helping him put everything together and wanted to walk you through what we came up with." Never open with "so, tell me about your project." That is the fastest way to destroy the relationship the contractor built.

Stage 5 · The proposal becomes a collaborative review

Not "here's your quote, sign here." Instead: "We have everything put together. I'd love to spend ten minutes walking you through it so we can make sure it reflects exactly what you and Mike discussed." That is a project review. Internally, it is absolutely selling.

The rule that keeps this from getting awkward

Never duplicate the contractor. When the customer says "I'm worried the siding underneath is worse than Mike thinks," the answer is "That's a good question — let me bring Mike in so you get a precise answer." That builds trust rather than burning it.

Two-way handoff, not a one-way transfer

Technical concern         →  Advisor brings in Contractor
Pricing / options / timing →  Contractor brings in Advisor
Ready to move forward      →  Advisor brings in Operations
Worth testing early: the contractor-introduced video

A fifteen-second clip recorded before the contractor leaves the driveway, introducing the advisor by name and confirming the contractor stays involved for anything technical. The customer then already knows who you are, why you're involved, that the contractor hasn't vanished, and that you're part of the same team — before your first call.

The design principle

Internally: a disciplined sales system — follow-up, pipeline, next steps, objections, close probability, deal strategy, timing, revenue.
Externally: "Fixxa is responsive, understands my project, is helping me decide, and I always know what happens next."

Those two are not in conflict. The machinery just stays out of sight.

Section 10

Open Questions Before Anything Gets Designed

Map the workflow with Levi

Lead comes in        →  Who responds?
                     →  Who qualifies?
                     →  Who visits?
                     →  Who builds the quote?
                     →  Who sends it?
                     →  Who follows up?
                     →  Who handles objections?
                     →  Who gets the agreement signed?
                     →  Who collects the deposit?
                     →  WHEN DOES PROJECT MANAGEMENT BEGIN?
                     →  Who owns the customer relationship?

Questions for Gabriel

Still unknown

QuestionWhy it matters
What is Fixxa's actual gross margin?Every commission figure in this document scales directly off it
What does the quote export actually contain?Determines whether the dormant pipeline is workable at all
Residential or commercial dormant quotes?Changes the entire outreach approach and tooling
How many project managers, and what do they own?Determines whether a customer-facing role is needed
What does Fixxa retain per routed job?The take-rate. A spread business, not a margin business.
Can the completed job list be reviewed?Validates close rates and average ticket independently
What does a 90-day win look like to Levi?Becomes the milestone bonus and the Day-90 review criteria
Standing condition

No employment decision at the dealership until all three are true: signed contract, deposit or first payment cleared, and quote export reviewed. All three. No exceptions.