If you’re on the hook for getting commission statements out of Varicent, you already know it’s not always plug-and-play. Maybe you’re in sales ops, finance, or comp admin. Either way, you need to give employees clear, detailed breakdowns of their earnings—without spending all week wrestling report builders or fixing broken formulas. This guide will walk you through building commission statements in Varicent that actually make sense to your team (and your sanity). No fluff, no silver bullets, just honest, practical steps.
1. Get Clear on What “Detailed” Means for Your Org
Before you even log in, pin down what your employees actually want—and need—to see on their statements. “Detailed” is subjective. Some folks want to see every line item and adjustment. Others just want their payout and a few totals.
Ask yourself: - Do you need to show deal-level info (customer, product, date, amount)? - Should you break down by earning types (base, accelerators, SPIFFs, clawbacks)? - What time period matters—monthly, quarterly, YTD? - Are there adjustments, reversals, or splits to show?
Pro tip: Pull up last year’s “problem” tickets or questions about commission statements. The stuff that confused people last time? That’s what you need to make clearer this time.
2. Make Sure Your Data Is Actually Ready
No report builder can save you from garbage data. Before you try to build anything, check that: - All deals have closed and been finalized in the system. - Adjustments/overrides are in and reviewed. - People’s assignments (manager, team, quota) are up to date. - The Varicent calculation engine has finished running for the period you’re reporting on.
What to skip: Don’t waste time building a beautiful report if your numbers are still changing. You’ll just have to redo it.
3. Map Out Your Statement on Paper First
Seriously—don’t start clicking around in Varicent yet. Sketch out what you want the commission statement to look like. It saves a ton of headaches later.
- Decide on the sections (summary at the top, then details, then adjustments, etc.).
- Figure out which fields should show up, and in what order.
- Think about what will make sense to someone who’s NOT a comp admin.
Pro tip: If you already have a statement template (even a messy Excel version), start there. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to.
4. Log In and Find the Right Varicent Tool for the Job
Now, fire up Varicent. You’ll probably use one of these:
- Composer (Reports): Best for custom, table-based statements. You can group, filter, and format data pretty flexibly.
- Presentations: These are more like dashboards. Great for exec summaries, but not always granular enough for payees.
- Communication Center: If you need to automate distribution or add some messaging with the statements.
What works: Composer is your go-to for classic “statement” style reports. Presentations work for trendlines and high-level visuals, but employees will still ask for the detailed breakdown.
5. Build the Statement: Step-by-Step
a) Start a New Composer Report
- Go to Composer > Create New Report.
- Name it something clear (e.g., “2024 Q2 Commission Statement”).
b) Pick Your Data Sources
You need to pull from the right tables—usually: - Earnings (by person, period, type) - Transactions (deal-level data) - Adjustments (manual changes, overrides)
Check with your Varicent admin or data modeler if you’re not sure which tables have the good stuff.
c) Add Filters
- Filter by period (e.g., “June 2024” or “Q2 2024”).
- Filter by “current user” if you want to use the same report for everyone (dynamic filtering).
- Exclude canceled/voided transactions.
d) Lay Out the Sections
- Summary: Total payout. Maybe break it down by earning type.
- Details: List each deal, date, product, commission earned.
- Adjustments: Show any manual changes, with notes if possible.
- Totals: Grand total at the bottom.
e) Format for Clarity
- Use plain column names. “Deal ID” makes more sense than “Transaction_Object_ID.”
- Group or subtotal where it helps (e.g., by customer, by earning type).
- If your company has split deals or overlays, call those out—don’t bury them.
f) Preview with Real Data
- Test with several real employees, not just your own user account.
- Check for blanks, weird numbers, or anything that’ll raise eyebrows.
- Fix column widths, date formats, and sort orders. These little things matter.
6. Validate Before You Publish
This is where people skip steps and regret it.
- Have someone from payroll or finance double-check the math.
- Ask one or two salespeople to review a test statement. The feedback might be brutal, but it’ll save you grief.
- Watch for common mistakes: missing adjustments, double-counted deals, or misaligned pay periods.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time making it pixel-perfect. Focus on accuracy and clarity first—fancy logos and colors are nice, but no one cares if the totals are wrong.
7. Automate Distribution (If You Can)
If you only have a handful of employees, manual downloads might be fine. But if you’re at scale:
- Use Varicent’s Communication Center to send statements automatically.
- Set up filters so each employee only gets their own data (dynamic recipient filters).
- Attach a PDF if people still love printed statements (some do, for reasons no one will ever understand).
Heads up: Automation sometimes breaks quietly. Always do a dry run and spot-check the final emails before you call it done.
8. Handle Exceptions and Questions
No matter how clear your statement, someone will have a question. That’s just reality.
- Keep a shared doc for FAQs (“Why does my payout look lower?” “What’s this adjustment?”).
- If you find a real error, fix the source data—not just the statement. Otherwise, it’ll bite you next cycle.
- For ongoing tweaks, keep your main report simple, and build “deep dive” versions for edge cases.
9. What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works well: - Simple, consistent formats. People remember where to look. - Dynamic filters—one report for all employees, less maintenance. - Clear labels and notes on adjustments.
Doesn’t work: - Overloading the statement with every possible data point. It’s overwhelming and no one reads it. - Ignoring user feedback. If people don’t trust the statement, they’ll ping you every month. - Relying solely on dashboards for commission—most people want to see the math, not just the totals.
10. Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t aim for perfection on the first try. Build a clear, accurate statement, get feedback, and tweak as you go. Most people just want to know they’re paid fairly and see how their number was calculated. If you can deliver that, you’re already ahead of most teams.
And remember, Varicent is powerful, but it’s only as good as your data and how clearly you lay things out. Keep your statements simple, stay open to feedback, and don’t be afraid to update your process when you spot confusion or errors.