Solving Underperformance: How to Lift Up the 40%

This research examines the structural underperformance affecting modern SaaS GTM teams, where over-hiring during the “Golden Age of SaaS” masked skill gaps that surfaced once markets softened. The data shows that while only a small fraction of reps consistently outperform, roughly 40% sit just below “normal” performance—and represent the fastest path to recovery. The paper introduces Impact Sprints, a focused, repeatable enablement model that targets one skill at a time, reinforces it through coaching, and compounds performance improvements. By shifting this middle cohort to normal performance levels, companies can drive up to a 21% revenue increase without adding headcount.

Best For

• CROs & Revenue Leaders facing widespread quota underperformance

• Sales & CS leaders responsible for rep productivity and NRR

• Enablement leaders designing faster paths to performance

• RevOps teams identifying the highest-leverage performance metrics

• CEOs & Founders seeking revenue lift without increasing costs

Key Takeaways

• 2 out of 3 reps no longer meet quota in today’s SaaS environment

• The traditional performance bell curve has collapsed; superstars are shrinking

• The middle 40% (“swing group”) offers the fastest, lowest-risk upside

• Lifting this cohort can generate 1.53× performance improvement

• Large, generalized training programs are too slow to deliver impact

• Impact Sprints focus on one skill, one metric, over 60–90 days

• Coaching and repetition—not content volume—make skills stick

• Revenue gains compound sprint over sprint, creating durable improvement