IME PreSales is not typically based on your direct sales. Your variable comp typically comes from the overall sales performance of the sales org. I was at a j

IME PreSales is not typically based on your direct sales. Your variable comp typically comes from the overall sales performance of the sales org. I was at a job where I was the reason we closed a $2M deal. I'm not bragging - even the customer said it. I got no bonus or raise that year because overall the sales org didn't hit their target. On the plus side, the base comp for PreSales tends to be quite good. So even some basic variable comp on top can give you a nice income. Plus, you can live in a low COL area and work for a company that pays higher COL salaries.