Push or Pull: How Smart Golf Brands Build Sales Teams

Nick Lawless March 16, 2026

The first question I hear from almost every golf brand building a wholesale sales team is the same: how should we compensate our reps?

It sounds simple. But the answer depends on more variables than most people realize, and getting it wrong can cost you time, money, and momentum in the market.

Let's Define Both Models

A company rep is a W-2 employee. They work for you exclusively. You set their schedule, define their territory, and are responsible for their base salary, commission, benefits, expenses, and everything that comes with employing someone. In return, your line is their entire focus. Typical structure: $50,000 to $100,000 base + 2 to 8% commission.

An independent rep is a 1099 contractor who runs their own sales business. They carry multiple complementary lines, typically four to eight brands at a time, and earn straight commission on what they sell. They own their territory relationships, set their own schedule, and operate as an entrepreneur. You're one of several brands in their bag, and your success with them depends on how well your product fits their existing book of business. Typical structure: 10 to 15% commission.

Understanding this distinction matters because the decision really isn't about cost. If you can't invest in a W-2 rep, you likely shouldn't be building a territory-based sales team yet either way. The answer is in what kind of relationship your brand needs right now.

A Unique Perspective

A recruiter sits in a unique position. Reps tell me things they would never say in an interview. Brands share strategy and future plans they would otherwise never discuss publicly. Hard conversations are had early and often.

Since launching 360 Recruitment, I've had countless conversations with both reps and founders. Brands building their first sales team. Established brands filling high-turnover territories. Company reps exploring a pivot to the independent world. Independents considering adding or dropping lines. Everything in between.

Through that narrow focus, you start to see patterns quickly and pick up on truths you would otherwise miss.

Now let's get into what structure is best for you. Spoiler: it might be different than the strategy that works for the brand you're chasing.

The Push vs Pull Framework

An industry friend of mine, who has quietly become a bit of a mentor, said something simple that stuck with me: "The best sales team is a well balanced one." It's as close to a blanket answer as this question gets. But to understand what balanced actually means, you need to understand push vs pull.

Push: The brand relies on the rep to create demand. The rep has to convince the buyer the product is worth floor space. Harder sell, more time per account, smaller opening orders, longer sell-through timeline.

Pull: The brand creates demand through significant investment in marketing, social, tour presence, influencers, and brand recognition. The market is aware of your product before the rep ever walks in the door. Faster account adoption, larger opening orders, shorter sell-through timeline.

Now look at your brand honestly. Where do you sit on that scale? Are you rolling out a sales team gambling on a push strategy, or did you create so much pull that you simply can't go another day without representation?

Most early stage brands fall into the trap of not realizing they are a push brand. They go out and try to hire independent reps who naturally gravitate toward pull brands, and then they wonder why their rep isn't selling.

Place Your Brand on This Scale

Push brand + independent rep = misalignment. The rep likely won't prioritize you. They have easier lines in their bag that take half the effort to sell. Yours gets deprioritized fast.

Push brand + company rep = The path to building something real. A dedicated rep can turn push into pull over time. It takes patience, investment, and the right person. It is a strong way to get experienced reps on your side while the brand earns its place in the market.

Pull brand + independent rep = the sweet spot. You're easy to carry and profitable for them. The demand exists, the comp plan has no ceiling, and the rep is hungry to earn.

Pull brand + company rep = Aligned, but keep your eyes open. This is the mistake most people don't talk about because it's harder to spot. If the comp plan isn't structured correctly, the base salary becomes the comfort zone and the commission stops feeling worth chasing. The rep isn't lazy. The plan just stopped incentivizing growth. Watch for it. Revisit the structure before complacency sets in.

The Balance

Back to that quote: "The best sales team is a well balanced one."

Most brands don't need to choose just one model, and certainly don't need to commit to one forever. The balance is the strategy. Some territories make sense as independent. Some need a dedicated company rep. The right answer shifts as your brand grows and as your position on the push/pull scale changes.

Every brand sits differently on that scale and deserves a strategy rooted in their own brand identity. The brands that get this right are not always the ones with the biggest budget or the most market share. They are the ones most aware of what their sales team actually needs.

If you're working through this decision today, I would be grateful for the opportunity to workshop it with you.