January 11, 2025 | Read online
You Can’t Change Results (And That’s Exactly Why Your Team Is Missing Quota)
by Kevin 'KD' Dorsey
Close rates are down. Pipeline is tight. Buying is slower.
And what do most sales leaders do? They talk about results.
“Revenue’s off.”
“Quota attainment is low.”
“We need more pipeline.”
Cool. That’s like yelling at the scoreboard and expecting it to move.
Here’s the hard truth, y’all:
You cannot change results.
Results are already in the past. That’s what makes them results.
If you want to change performance, you have to go 2–3 layers deeper.
Let’s break this down.
The Real Problem: Leaders Focus on the Wrong Layer
When revenue dips, most orgs react like this:
- Raise quotas
- Add pressure
- Add meetings
- Add dashboards
- Add “accountability”
And somehow… performance gets worse.
Why?
Because revenue is an outcome. And outcomes are downstream from behaviors, skills, and process.
If you want more revenue, you don’t coach revenue.
You coach the result behind the result.
Example:
- Result we want → More revenue
- Result behind that → Higher close rate
- Result behind that → Better discovery
- Result behind that → Stronger 2nd-layer, problem-based questions
That’s where the leverage is.
Not at the top of the funnel. Not at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
In the behaviors.
Sales Is a Numbers Game (And That’s a Good Thing)
Some folks love to say, “Sales isn’t a numbers game.”
Yeah… okay.
Even a 50% close rate doesn’t matter if you only run one opp.
Sales is a numbers game. But here’s the part most leaders miss:
Behind every number is a behavior.
Low close rate?
There’s a discovery issue, positioning issue, or deal control issue.
Low pipeline?
There’s a prospecting habit, messaging, or time allocation issue.
Long sales cycle?
There’s likely a qualification or stakeholder mapping issue.
Metrics don’t tell you what’s wrong.
They tell you where to look.
Great leaders don’t just track data.
They change it.
Quotas Without Math = Vaporware
Let’s talk about something spicy.
If your rep has:
- $10K ACV
- $200K quota
- 20% close rate
They need:
- 20 deals
- 100 opportunities
Do they have 100 real opportunities?
Is there enough pipeline capacity to support that?
If you can’t mathematically show a path to quota…
You’re not setting goals.
You’re setting morale on fire.
Especially in tighter markets, raising quotas without adjusting the math guarantees:
- Missed numbers
- Disengaged reps
- Attrition
Pipeline over everything.
Start with:
“How much pipeline do we need to hit the revenue goal?”
Then back into:
- Close rate
- ACV
- Capacity
- Activities within their control
Clarity creates confidence.
Vibes create chaos.
Diagnosis > Pressure
Revenue being low is not the problem.
It’s the symptom.
Saying “bring your close rate up” is like telling someone with knee pain to “just walk better.”
No.
What’s causing the pain?
Great leaders operate like surgeons, not hype men.
You go metric by metric and ask:
- Where is it breaking down?
- What behavior is causing it?
- Is this skill, process, or execution?
You don’t manage outcomes. You diagnose causes.
And here’s the twist:
Most managers actually know what to look for.
It’s just living in their head instead of in a repeatable checklist.
And if it’s not written down, it’s not scalable.
Accountability Is Built, Not Forced
Now let’s talk about “accountability.”
Most leaders try to enforce accountability after performance drops.
But accountability is required when responsibility has already been ignored.
What you really want is a culture of responsibility.
That means:
- The rep knows their numbers.
- The rep self-reports.
- The rep participates in diagnosis.
- The rep helps prescribe the fix.
You can’t hold someone accountable to:
- What wasn’t clear
- What wasn’t agreed to
- What doesn’t have a “how” attached
“Make more dials” is not a plan.
A plan is:
- Calendar blocks
- Lead list prepped
- Research done
- Defined call goals
Micro-managing is telling them what to do.
Micro-awareness is knowing where they need help.
Huge difference.
The 3 Big Ideas
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
1. Results Are Lagging Indicators
They tell you what already happened.
Metrics and behaviors tell you what’s about to happen.
2. Every Number Has a Root Cause
Close rate → Discovery quality
ACV → Positioning and recommendation strength
Sales cycle → Deal control and stakeholder alignment
Change the behavior. The number follows.
3. Math Is Your Friend
Math removes emotion.
Emotion clouds leadership.
When you can show a rep the path to quota in black and white, something shifts:
- Less anxiety
- More ownership
- Clear targets
Clarity creates confidence.
How to Apply This This Week
Here’s your leadership checklist:
☐ Identify one major result you’re trying to improve
☐ Ask: what’s the result behind that result? (Go 3 layers deep)
☐ Identify the ONE metric per rep that would move the needle most
☐ Run a true issue diagnosis (skill, process, behavior?)
☐ Co-create a prescription with clear “how” and timeline
☐ Track weekly, not just at month-end
Do not try to fix everything.
Aim small. Miss small.
Pick the lever with the highest impact and pull it with intent.
Leadership is hard right now.
Buying is harder. Selling is harder. Pressure is higher.
So we have to get better.
Not louder. Not more intense. Not more meetings.
Better.
Because you can’t change results.
But you can absolutely change what causes them.
And that’s where real leaders live.
—
If this hit, drop me a note:
What’s the result behind the result you’re chasing right now? 🔥
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