pirate

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Have to commit to 80% Quota without the pipe for it

My company has set some ridiculously high quotas, no one's hitting them.

Q1, Q2 targets were missed.

Everyone's now being asked to commit to 80% of the quota. No one has enough deals to commit.

I am building my patch from scratch and sales cycle is quite long. Q4 is looking better for me but what should I do in the meanwhile?

Put up theatrics and give it my best performance and come up with some fictional deals? I always thought honesty is the best policy but seems like it's not working and company is being run to the ground with bad business decisions.

Is it just what companies do? How many quarters in a row can you keep telling that we'll hit goals next quarter?

I'm not in the position to interview right now otherwise I would start looking.

I guess I'm looking for some advice on how to manage a dry pipeline and potentially pre lay off stage? Just ignore everything and not complain and say how much I love this slowly sinking ship?

17

33 comments

Sort by:

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

12

Bravado's Resident Asshole

I would commit to finding a new place of employment.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

3

🦊

Oof, no doubt

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

I've been job hopping a bit too much for this. I'll leave this option in best case though

nolaydowns

Good Citizen

5

SAE

Why a company sets unrealistic targets that are missed consecutively is beyond me. I know you don’t want to hear this but man, new job.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Thanks! Will try maybe switching roles. It's just weird to me that why would leaders set targets so high when we won't deliver. All the reps and managers know it and we get initiatives as an answer

SoccerandSales

Big Shot

3

Account Executive

If you aren't open to exploring elsewhere, just try to feel out what is going to lead to the best future for you. If that is fluffing up a pipeline, so be it. Otherwise, in my opinion, honesty is the best policy. As a leader, would you rather consistently be let down by a rep who overpromises or consistently thrilled with reps that pull deals in ahead of scheduled close?

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yeah I wouldn't want to over promise and so far I've just described what I do and what I'm building. Just annoyed by the targets and missing them. I suppose it's not the problem of my level though.
Thanks!

Justatitle

Big Shot

2

Account Executive

Fake it til you make it and all...

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

I'll put my pirate hat on then. Happy Hunger games to me I guess

Justatitle

Big Shot

1

Account Executive

Rrrrrrrrr!!!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I have been in this situation before, and it is very uncomfortable.
It's unrealistic. Asking: "here's your number, how are you going to get there?" is understandable, but not allowing you to say "I don't have the numbers, here's why?" is just nuts. It's inaccurate.
I don't know that you fabricate deals out of thin air, but you're going to have to come up with something, which is pushing all of those early stage or targets from next year into this year.
And all of that is nuts, because I guarantee everyone is still going to miss the number because none of it is real.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yes, you've nailed the situation I'm in. Thanks for sharing some advice. I'm trying to pull the deals from Q4. I just don't understand the fluff from directors to CEO... I'd just come clean that it's not happening.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Yeah, I've been bluntly honest in the past. If it's not there, it's not there.
The message though, of course, is that you are working diligently to close the gap, and here are the steps you are taking, etc.

Diablo

Politicker

2

Sr. AE

It's a difficult situation? How big is the sales team and how's the forecasting looking for everyone else? Honesty is the best policy but if you're not looking for a new role you have to make up something for your sustainability.
You mentioned Q4 looks great, how big is the pipeline vs your quarterly target? When are you closing them - early Q or later part? Is there a ways you can push some of them to close by Q3 end instead?

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Similar situation across the floor. Sales team is roughly 30 people. Yeah just trying to figure out how to get through this. I am trying to pull some deals in and take advantage of some promotions that we have in order to get quicker wins in. Thank you!

Diablo

Politicker

1

Sr. AE

all the best :)

CPTAmerica

Opinionated

2

President/CRO

You're in a tough spot it sounds like. I'd start prospecting like crazy and see if you can't dig anything up to add something to the pipeline. Show them you're working your butt off to hit the number but don't make stuff up. Hopefully they will see that you are pushing as hard as you can and the number they want simply isn't possible. At the same time I'd be updating my resume and be ready if needed.

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Thanks that's solid advice. Appreciate it.
I hate lying and I have solid deals but they're from Q4 onwards. I started in the role 6 months ago and sales cycle is from 6 months onwards. Just a weird weird position to be in.

thesearentleads

Member

1

Account Executive

I’m in a similar spot. Joined company 3 months ago - on my last month of draw. No pipeline when I started, or SDR function. We rely on marketing emails vs targeted outbound prospecting. Average sales cycle was 3 months when I joined but we have monthly quotas. Only deals closing were from previous reps working deals for 6+ months. Scratch my head daily.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yeah. Head scratching is the temporary solution for problems I share

Filth

Politicker

2

Live Filthy or Die Clean

I'm living in a bit of this right now - keep being told to be "aggressive" with my projections but that sounds a lot like bullshiting the numbers out right. Not a fan, tip toeing the line currently.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yeah exactly. I get being aggressive if there was a good chance to close those deals and if my pipeline was massive...
I'm pushy, I build pipeline, I update the deals and keep it clean. I don't lie or bullshit though.

Filth

Politicker

1

Live Filthy or Die Clean

only put down what I can logically defend, but you know, our boss's boss's don't give a shit just want to keep growing unsustainably...even worse with boards involved...ugh.

PhlipOut

Politicker

2

Account Executive

it's what a lot of companies do.
"coMMiT tO sHoW iNteNt"

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Really?

JustGonnaSendIt

Politicker

1

Burn Towns, Get Money

Question: What happens if you don't commit 80%?
To me, either they can you or PIP you (you should plan to leave anyway)... or essentially it's all talk but no actual consequences.
I have had my feet held to the fire on a commit like this, and I declined. Honesty is the only policy. Turns out, nothing happened and I actually got promoted a year later because I ran a clean, well organized shop.
Probably helped that I hit my number for the year despite a rocky 1H, but still. You have what you have in your pipe.
If pipe is low, the conversation is not about what we commit, but how we get more pipe.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

If only I knew? I mean I don't want to straight up ask because it might give them ideas right
I'll just stick with honesty as well. I've hit my numbers before and I'll do it again

JustGonnaSendIt

Politicker

1

Burn Towns, Get Money

I don't think it's necessary to ask. I'm encouraging you to think thru the downside risk in detail. What's your game plan for the probable outcomes?

Maybe you get PIP'd or let go. Good riddance.

Maybe nothing.

Maybe something I can't think of because I lack context.

If it goes the direction of a toxic workplace because you won't get on the crazy wagon, grab a bucket and bail.

My best advice having been in this spot before is devote your energy to winning or getting TF out of there.

Try to worry less about unrealistic expectations, as it's likely the folks handing those down to you are subject to the same unrealistic expectations themselves. Either that or they lack the capability to see past blind spots and get an accurate view of what's reasonable.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

It's otherwise not too bad. Like everyone is nice to me on calls and such. I think I'll focus on winning definitely

Maximas

Tycoon

1

Senior Sales Executive

U Deserve Better!

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Probably do. Thanks!

Beans

Big Shot

1

Enterprise Account Executive

"Do you want a pretty commit that you'll assblast me for end of Q, or do you want a realistic commit that you can assblast me for throughout the Q?"

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

I'm usually honest and do assblasting at the begging of the Q but seemingly no one likes that. So I guess the latter option.

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.