Well, if you're in a proven industry and have a track record of sales, it's quite simple... make the commission generous.

I once worked as an advertising sales rep and while I wasn't 100% commission (my base salary was only $18,000, while I earned over $130,000/yr.) it was close enough that I think the experience qualifies.

I joined a team of a dozen reps and we all earned really good money. Convincing new people wasn't hard and the people who weren't good ended up leaving. It was a win-win.

Now if you're a new startup and you have no track record of sales then what you're talking about is developing more of a partnership. Here are the fears that any potential rep will have:
1. What if nobody wants this widget?
2. What if the company can't deliver on the promises?
3. What if I starve while trying to sell this thing?

See the problem?

You need to take a step back and examine if what you really need is a rep on your team who is an employee, or if you need to build some kind of dealer network or get your widget listed with rep houses that are selling other people's widgets.

Those people won't be afraid of starving and they'll give you better input as to what they think of your widget.

Arrange a call if you'd like to discuss your particular case, I work with a lot of people who are trying to formulate their business models.

Cheers

David C Barnett