Have reps spend the first week of each quarter identifying 10 high-value accounts (double the average contract value) with a strong business case. This 'big rock' approach focuses efforts on deals that can cover 50% of their quarterly pipeline needs.

Related Insights

Founders can assess their Head of Sales using two core metrics: 1) Can they hire reps who consistently close over $250k in new ACV per quarter within six months? 2) How many sales calls are they personally conducting each week? These are the ultimate measuring sticks of effectiveness.

Drive significant growth not through a single massive overhaul, but through marginal 10-20% improvements across key levers like qualified opportunities, average contract value, and win rates. These small, achievable gains have a multiplicative effect, compounding into substantial overall revenue growth.

Instead of focusing on a large quota, leaders should reverse engineer it. Calculate the number of deals needed based on win rate and average contract value, then break that down into weekly opportunity creation goals for reps.

Encourage reps to take full ownership of their total pipeline number. Use sales math to show them how self-sourced deals, which often have higher contract values, give them more control over their success than relying purely on inbound or SDRs.

Instead of maximizing the volume of prospects at the top of the funnel, strategically narrow your focus to fewer, high-potential accounts. This 'martini glass' approach prioritizes depth and engagement over sheer productivity, leading to better quality opportunities.

Sales leaders should instill a long-game mindset, focusing on creating lifetime customers and sustainable revenue streams rather than just hitting immediate targets. This involves planting seeds that will generate revenue for years, not just months.

Don't try to fix everything at once. Inspired by the Theory of Constraints, identify the single biggest bottleneck in your revenue engine and dedicate 80% of your energy to solving it each quarter. Once unblocked, the system will reveal a new constraint to tackle next, creating a sustainable rhythm.

A top enterprise AE focuses intensely on only 20 of his 400 accounts (5%) for a six-month period. These accounts are chosen based on the high probability of a compelling event occurring. This extreme prioritization allows for deep, meaningful engagement rather than spreading efforts thinly across an entire book.

Feeling overwhelmed by a large prospect list is often a symptom of treating all leads the same. The solution isn't better tools but better segmentation. By categorizing accounts by their potential value (High, Medium, Low), a salesperson can focus their limited time on high-impact opportunities, turning a daunting list into a manageable workflow.

Most salespeople wait until the new year to plan their first quarter. In contrast, elite performers use November to set Q1 revenue goals, calculate the required pipeline, and map out their initial actions, ensuring they start January already in full motion.