As a Business Development Associate, you will earn much more your first year on the job than any subsequent years. This is because the "ramp up" pay is much more than you will earn in commissions. They will give you $1k/month for 9 months if you're at 100% of your quota, but then your ramp up pay slowly goes away. You will be lucky to earn $1k/month in commissions without the subsidy. The 1st year bonuses are great, but they don't give you any bonuses after your first year. There is no performance bonus after the 1st year. They will give you a $3k/year "raise" if you're meeting your number. Oh, and you are only paid commissions on your customers for 1 year.
Management is always changing what they want you to focus on and there is little support or direction. They expect you to meet certain criteria that is not at all necessary to effectively do your job. And if you don't meet the criteria, you can be at risk of losing your job even if you are at 100% of your quota.
The quotas go up every month and are very unmanagemable towards the end of the year.
No matter how well you are doing, they always want more from you and your best is never good enough.
They will tell you there is opportunity for advancement, but that is usually only if you are willing to relocate. And when I say relocate, it's probably going to be to a remote area that no one wants to be in. Unless your DSM or RVP leaves, you will be stuck as a BDA. Even if you want to make a lateral move, they will hire outside the company instead of giving a BDA the position.
I think they give more incentive to new associates because they don't want tenured reps. After working there long enough (6 months at the most), you realize that most of the things you are required to do are worthless and a waste of time. For example, every BDA in the country is required to mail out 50 cards each week to prospects. With about 800 BDAs in the country and postage at $0.44, that's over $17,000 that Staples is literally throwing away each week (because we all know those cards end up the trash can) in postage alone.
