Overview
What It Is
A real-time tracking system that monitors quota attainment across all reps and teams, projects likely end-of-period performance based on pipeline and historical patterns, and alerts leadership to intervention opportunities.
Why It Matters
Waiting until month-end to discover someone missed quota is too late. Real-time tracking with projections enables coaching, territory adjustments, or deal support while there's still time to impact the outcome.
Who It's For
- Sales reps tracking their own progress
- Sales managers monitoring team performance
- RevOps providing performance analytics
- Leadership tracking company attainment
Preconditions
Required Tools
- Salesforce (CRM with quota objects)
- BigQuery/Snowflake (analytics)
- Looker/Tableau (visualization)
- Slack (alerting)
Required Fields/Properties
- Quota amount by rep and period
- Closed-won opportunities with close date
- Open pipeline with expected close dates
- Historical win rates by rep
Definitions Required
- Quota period definitions (monthly/quarterly)
- Attainment calculation (bookings vs. revenue)
- At-risk threshold (e.g., <75% projected)
- Accelerator tiers for compensation
Step-by-Step Workflow
Configure Quota Data Model
Goal: Establish clean quota data for tracking
Actions:
- Ensure quota objects are populated for all reps
- Handle mid-period quota changes
- Account for ramping reps (reduced quota)
- Support multiple quota types (bookings, renewal, expansion)
Implementation Notes: Store quota snapshots monthly—don't just use current quota. This enables accurate historical attainment tracking even when quotas change.
Build Attainment Calculation
Goal: Calculate current attainment for all reps
Actions:
- Sum closed-won in period by rep
- Calculate attainment percentage
- Handle multiple quota types separately
- Support team and manager roll-ups
Implementation Notes: Be clear on what counts: Is it booking date or close date? New logo only or including expansion? Document and apply consistently.
Project End-of-Period Attainment
Goal: Forecast likely attainment based on pipeline and historical patterns
Actions:
- Calculate expected value from pipeline
- Apply rep-specific historical win rates
- Factor in deals in later stages more heavily
- Generate confidence intervals
Implementation Notes: Use trailing 6-month win rates by rep and stage. New reps without history use team averages. Show range (conservative to optimistic) for projections.
Configure At-Risk Alerts
Goal: Proactively identify reps likely to miss quota
Actions:
- Set threshold for 'at-risk' (e.g., <80% projected)
- Calculate weekly pacing vs. linear path
- Identify sudden changes (big deals lost)
- Route alerts to manager and rep
Implementation Notes: Alert early enough to act. At risk at 50% through the quarter is actionable. At risk on the last day is just a post-mortem.
Build Attainment Dashboards
Goal: Provide visibility at rep, team, and company levels
Actions:
- Create rep-level pacing dashboard
- Build manager team view
- Add company attainment summary
- Include historical comparison
Implementation Notes: Reps should have a self-service view of their progress. Managers see their team. Leadership sees roll-up with drill-down capability.
Automate Reporting Cadence
Goal: Deliver timely attainment updates to stakeholders
Actions:
- Weekly attainment summary to all reps
- Daily at-risk alerts to managers
- End-of-period attainment report
- Compensation team data feed
Implementation Notes: Weekly cadence for general updates. Daily alerts only for significant changes or critical at-risk situations.
Templates
Weekly Attainment Summary (Rep)
📊 *Your Q4 Attainment Update*
Hi {{rep_name}},
*Current Status:*
• Quota: ${{quota}}
• Closed: ${{closed_won}} ({{attainment_pct}}%)
• Remaining: ${{remaining}} to hit quota
*Pacing:*
• Time elapsed: {{time_elapsed}}%
• You're {{pace_status}} vs. linear pace
*Projection:*
• Based on your pipeline: {{projected_pct}}% projected attainment
• Conservative: {{conservative_pct}}% | Optimistic: {{optimistic_pct}}%
*Key Deals to Close:*
{{#each key_deals}}
• {{name}} - ${{amount}} - Close: {{close_date}}
{{/each}}
<{{dashboard_link}}|View Your Dashboard>
Manager At-Risk Alert
⚠️ *At-Risk Rep Alert*
*Rep:* {{rep_name}}
*Current Attainment:* {{attainment_pct}}%
*Projected Attainment:* {{projected_pct}}%
*Gap to Quota:* ${{gap}}
*Issue Detected:*
{{alert_message}}
*Pipeline Analysis:*
• Open pipeline: ${{pipeline}}
• Expected close: ${{expected_close}}
• Needed to hit quota: ${{needed}}
• Coverage: {{coverage}}x
*Suggested Actions:*
1. Schedule 1:1 to discuss blockers
2. Review top 3 deals for coaching opportunities
3. Assess if territory support needed
<{{rep_dashboard}}|View Rep Dashboard>
Attainment Leaderboard
| Rank | Rep | Closed | Quota | Attainment | Projected | Status | |------|-----|--------|-------|------------|-----------|--------| | 1 | Sarah | $285K | $250K | 114% | 145% | Crushing | | 2 | Mike | $220K | $250K | 88% | 105% | On Track | | 3 | Lisa | $180K | $250K | 72% | 92% | Watch | | 4 | Tom | $140K | $250K | 56% | 78% | At Risk | | 5 | Amy | $95K | $250K | 38% | 62% | Critical |
QA + Edge Cases
Test Cases Checklist
- Verify attainment calculation matches manual spreadsheet
- Test projection accuracy against historical outcomes
- Confirm at-risk alerts fire at correct thresholds
- Validate ramping rep quota adjustments
- Test manager roll-up sums to team correctly
Common Failure Modes
- Quota timing mismatch: Quota period doesn't align with close date attribution. Ensure both use same period boundaries.
- Multi-product attribution: Rep sells multiple products with separate quotas but deals aren't split. Implement deal-level product allocation.
- Projection overconfidence: Win rates from good periods inflate projections. Use longer trailing periods and adjust for seasonality.
Troubleshooting Tips
- If projected always beats actual, historical win rates may be stale—recalculate monthly
- For reps always 'at risk' early in period, adjust alert timing to later in quarter
- If roll-ups don't match individual sums, check for duplicate deal attribution
KPIs and Reporting
KPIs to Track
- Team Quota Attainment: >85% of team quota
- Reps at 100%+: >60% of reps hit quota
- Projection Accuracy: Within 10% of actual outcome
- At-Risk Intervention Rate: 100% of at-risk reps get coaching
Suggested Dashboard Widgets
- Attainment Distribution: Histogram of rep attainment percentages
- Pacing Chart: Cumulative closed vs. linear pace over time
- At-Risk Pipeline: List of deals needed to close for at-risk reps
- Year-over-Year Comparison: Current period vs. same period last year