A draw is money a company pays a salesperson before commissions have been earned, so there is something to live on while pipeline builds. It is most common in the first few months of a new role, when nothing has closed yet, and in roles with a small base salary.
There are two kinds and the difference matters. A recoverable draw is a loan: you receive $5,000 a month, and when commissions start arriving, the company keeps them until the draw has been paid back. If you leave before that happens, some plans require you to repay the balance in cash. A non-recoverable draw is a guaranteed minimum: you receive it, and if commissions fall short, you keep it anyway.
A numeric example: a $6,000 monthly recoverable draw for three months creates an $18,000 balance. If you then earn $10,000 in commission in month four, you receive $0 and the balance drops to $8,000. Month five earns $12,000; you receive $4,000 and the balance is cleared.
The common mistake is treating a recoverable draw as income. It is a bridge, and it comes with a repayment cliff that can make the first commission checks disappointing. Ask which kind you are getting, how long it lasts, and what happens to the balance if you leave.