Guide
90% vs 150% Attainment: What Raising the Bar Actually Buys You
By Arshnoor Kohli, Founder, Vektor
Last updated
Published · 6 min read
Bottom line
At a $600K annual quota, a 90% rep closes $540K and a 150% rep closes $900K. That's $360K per seat. Across five reps, it's $1.8M with the same headcount, comp plan, and tools. The only variable is the person in the seat.
A simple model of the revenue gap between 90% and 150% quota attainment across a five-rep team, plus what elite sellers bring that never shows up on a spreadsheet.
The math, kept simple
A sales leader told me they were fine with 90% attainment if that was all they could get. That frustrated me, because a lot of leaders never break down the difference between settling for 90% and raising the bar to 150%.
Keep the math simple. Average deal size $50,000. Annual quota $600,000. Good rep hits 90%: $540,000. Great rep hits 150%: $900,000. That's a $360,000 difference per seat.
| Team of five | Revenue |
|---|---|
| Good team (90%) | $2,700,000 |
| Great team (150%) | $4,500,000 |
| Gap | $1,800,000 |
Three things elite sellers bring that don't show up on a spreadsheet
- They raise the standard of your culture. The bar moves up without you forcing it. Other reps rise to meet it, or they get left behind.
- They recruit for you. Great reps talk to other great reps. When a seller is making good money and liking the work, they tell their friends. Your best hire often comes from your last best hire.
- They manage themselves. A driven rep doesn't eat up your time, your resources, or your energy. They come in and get to work.
The hard part
The rep who can get you 150% is not refreshing job boards on LinkedIn or Indeed. They're heads down crushing quota, and they'll stay there until someone gives them a real reason to move.
Your company is the sum of the people you bring in. You will never rise to the level of your goals. You will always rise to the level of your standards. Every candidate we send runs a live mock cold call on your product before they hit your calendar, so you're hiring the rep who can actually get you to 150%, not the one who interviews well.
Download the PDF
We use your email to send hiring resources. Unsubscribe anytime.
Related resources
Ready to hire the rep who hits 150%?
Vektor runs structured screens and live mock cold calls on your product. Pay $0 until they start.
Book a call