The Data-Driven Diagnostic: 10 Questions to Ask Your Sales Team When Sales Targets Are Missed

Major Takeaways: 10 Questions to Ask Your Sales Team

Start with Why Sales Goals Were Missed

• Begin by asking your team why the goal wasn’t met. This opens the door to honest insights and sets the tone for a solutions-focused discussion.
  

Use Sales Data to Diagnose Gaps

• Review key metrics—pipeline coverage, win rates, sales velocity—to uncover what really caused the shortfall. 65% of top sales teams use data to guide decisions.
  

Evaluate Pipeline Coverage First

• Missed goals often stem from insufficient pipeline. Without 3×–4× coverage, even the best reps are unlikely to hit quota.
  

Spot Funnel Bottlenecks Early

• Map out where deals stalled in your sales funnel. Over 40% of B2B deals are lost to indecision—not competitors—highlighting urgency and clarity gaps.
  

Audit Targeting and Lead Quality

• Chasing unqualified leads wastes time and clogs your funnel. Reps lose 45+ hours per month pursuing low-fit prospects.
  

Assess Individual Sales Performance

• Review quota attainment, activity levels, and conversion rates per rep to identify coaching opportunities. 57% of reps fail to meet quota annually.
  

Capture Why Prospects Said No

• Gather insights from lost deals to improve your pitch and process. Buyer indecision is often linked to lack of ROI clarity or urgency.
  

Invest in the Right Support and Strategy

• Align sales training, tools, and messaging to fill gaps. Sales training yields a 353% ROI and boosts sales per rep by 50%.

Introduction

When sales targets are missed, savvy sales leaders don’t rush to blame – they dive into the data. In our experience, the best way to diagnose a shortfall is by asking the right questions that turn anecdotal excuses into actionable insights. We’ve learned that missed quotas are more common than you might think – one recent survey found 91% of companies fail to meet at least 80% of their sales targets (3). Instead of panicking, B2B sales and marketing leaders (CMOs, CROs, VPs of Sales/Marketing, SDR directors) should see a miss as a prompt to evaluate why sales goals are missed and how to course-correct. In this guide, we walk through a data-driven diagnostic: 10 questions to ask your sales team (and yourself) after missing a goal. Our goal is to help you pinpoint root causes – from pipeline management, identifying gaps to performance issues – and map out improvements. By the end, you’ll have a strategic checklist to turn a disappointing quarter into a learning opportunity and a stronger plan for the next. Let’s get started with the first critical question.

What’s the first question to ask your sales team after missing a goal?

The first question we need to ask is simple: “Why did we miss our sales goal?” This may sound obvious, but framing the discussion around data and facts rather than blame sets the tone for a constructive analysis. Gather your sales team and openly probe what factors they believe led to the shortfall – was it a lack of leads, an overly aggressive goal, increased competition, or something else? We encourage an honest, no-defensiveness review where reps can voice obstacles they encountered. The goal is to identify specific causes rather than vague excuses.

Facing missed targets as a team begins with asking “What happened?” in a solutions-oriented way. We’ve found that leaders who start with why gain valuable context – maybe a major client pushed out an order, or a product issue hurt conversions. This broad “why” question often reveals multiple contributing factors, which you can then break down with deeper follow-ups (as we’ll do below). Crucially, it reinforces a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. Instead of finger-pointing, everyone focuses on learning from the miss. You’re not alone: in reality, missed goals happen across industries – up to 70% of B2B sales reps missed quota in 2024 (2) – so the key is how we respond. By starting with “why,” we set the stage for a data-driven discussion and signal to the team that we’re all in this together to find answers.

Why Sales Goals Are Missed – Common Causes

When we investigate why sales goals are missed, a few usual suspects tend to emerge:

• Unrealistic Targets: Quotas set too high or without grounding in market data can demotivate the team from day one. (Example: Leadership expects 50% growth in a flat market.) In fact, studies show unrealistic quotas are a top reason for widespread misses (3). Setting ambitious but achievable goals is crucial – when companies adjusted targets to real-world conditions, 72% of reps hit their numbers in one quarter, compared to 70% missing when goals were off-base (1).
  
• Insufficient Pipeline: Often, the team simply didn’t have enough leads or opportunities in the pipeline to meet the target. If you needed $1M in sales but only had $1M in pipeline, falling short was almost inevitable. Healthy organizations aim for 3×–4× pipeline coverage of quota (6) to account for typical win rates. Without that buffer, even strong close rates won’t deliver the goal.
  
• Poor Conversion or Process Gaps: There may have been plenty of leads, but deals got stuck or lost in the sales process. Perhaps reps struggled to convert demos to closes, or follow-ups fell through the cracks. A lack of a structured sales process is a huge obstacle to hitting quotas (3). We’ll dive deeper into diagnosing funnel bottlenecks in a moment.
  
• Team Performance Issues: It’s possible some team members underperformed, or new hires weren’t ramped up in time. If only a few reps hit quota and others lagged far behind, the aggregate target suffers. Later, we’ll discuss how to evaluate sales performance across the team to find coaching opportunities.

These are just a few examples. The key is that by starting with “Why did we miss it?”, we can surface the likely culprits. From there, each of the next questions will help drill down into these areas – using data to validate hunches and ultimately answer how to fix the issues moving forward.

How can sales data explain missed revenue targets?

After establishing the high-level “why,” the next step is to turn to the data. Numbers don’t lie, and a data-driven review often uncovers issues that aren’t obvious at first glance. This question prompts us to ask: What do our key sales metrics and reports tell us about the shortfall? Start by reviewing your sales dashboard for the period: pipeline generation, conversion rates at each funnel stage, average deal size, win rates, sales cycle length, and so on. Look for anomalies or drop-offs. For example, did you see an abnormally low conversion from proposals to closed deals? Was the average deal size smaller than expected? Did sales velocity slow down? Each data point is a clue.

Importantly, compare actuals against benchmarks or historical data. If historically 30% of leads convert to opportunities but this quarter only 15% did, that’s a red flag requiring investigation. Bring these insights into your team discussion. Often, reps might not realize a certain metric (like demo-to-trial conversion) plunged – but once they see it, the cause might become clear (e.g. a new competitor or a product issue in demos). By grounding the conversation in data, we shift from opinions to evidence. It’s not about who failed, but what the numbers show.

Leverage sales analytics tools if you have them. Many CRMs can spit out reports on stage-wise fallout, activity levels, and more. If you’re using forecasting software or BI dashboards, examine where the forecast diverged from reality. Did deals slip into next quarter (forecast accuracy issue) or vanish entirely (lost deals issue)? Each scenario suggests different remedies.

Keep in mind that being data-driven is increasingly the norm for high-performing teams. We’re seeing a broad push in B2B sales toward analytics: Gartner predicts 65% of B2B sales organizations will transition from intuition-based to data-driven decision making by 2026 (8). In other words, “flying blind” is no longer acceptable. Adopting a metrics-focused post-mortem is part of building a modern, resilient sales team.

Finally, use the data to guide the rest of your diagnostic questions. For example, if data shows a thin pipeline was the issue, dig into prospecting (next question). If it shows plenty of opportunities but low win rate, focus on deal execution and sales process. In short, sales data will point you to the areas that need the most attention. We want to evaluate sales performance through the lens of facts and figures, so we can address concrete problems rather than guess at symptoms.

Did we have enough sales pipeline to hit our target?

One of the first data points to scrutinize is your sales pipeline coverage. Simply put: Did we have sufficient sales ready leads and opportunities to realistically reach the goal? In many cases, missed targets are a math problem – not enough at-bats to score the runs. This is where the classic pipeline rule comes in: most companies aim for 3× or 4× pipeline-to-quota coverage (6). For example, if your quarterly sales goal was $500,000, you’d want $1.5–$2 million in solid opportunities in the lead generation funnel. That accounts for the fact that you won’t win every deal. If your pipeline coverage was only 1× or 2×, missing the target is not a surprise.

Start by asking your team (and CRM): How many qualified opportunities did we generate relative to our quota? If the pipeline was thin, that’s the root cause to address first. Perhaps marketing lead flow was low, or SDRs didn’t prospect enough. It’s common to discover that while the sales goal grew, prospecting activity didn’t scale accordingly – a recipe for failure. In our experience, a stagnant top-of-funnel is often the silent killer of sales goals.

Why does this happen? Prospecting is hard work that often gets deprioritized when reps are busy. In fact, 42% of salespeople rank prospecting as the hardest part of their job (2). That stat speaks volumes – generating sufficient pipeline is a widespread challenge, not a personal failing of your team. Knowing this, we should treat pipeline building as a strategic focus, not an afterthought. If missed targets are due to not enough leads, the answer is to double down on lead generation efforts (or engage partners who can fill your pipeline).

Ask your team specific pipeline questions: Did we target the right prospects? Were there enough outreach strategies and activities (calls, emails, LinkedIn touches) to feed the funnel? How was our lead-to-opportunity conversion rate? A low conversion from raw leads to sales opportunities could indicate poor lead quality or inadequate qualification. This overlaps with targeting (which we’ll cover later). The key is to quantify the gap: e.g., “We closed $400k but only had $800k in pipeline – a 2× coverage – when we really needed 3–4×. We simply didn’t have the volume.” Once everyone sees that reality, the next step is clear: increase pipeline generation through marketing, outbound prospecting, or sales outsourcing to support the team.

Before moving on, ensure the team understands this takeaway: Pipeline is the fuel for sales. If it was lacking, everything downstream suffers. The encouraging news is that pipeline is a solvable problem – it might mean hiring more SDRs, running extra outbound campaigns, or leveraging firms like ours to augment lead gen. But it’s concrete. As one sales mantra goes, “If you want to hit bigger numbers, put more in the funnel.” Data has now shown whether that was the issue this time around.

Where are deals getting stuck in our sales funnel?

Next, we need to examine the sales funnel or process to find any choke points. It’s possible you had plenty of pipeline, yet deals didn’t convert as expected. Ask: At what stage of the funnel did things break down? This requires looking at B2B conversion rates step by step – for example: leads → qualified meetings, meetings → proposals, proposals → closed deals. Identify if there’s a stage with an abnormally low conversion or a pile-up of stalled opportunities.

Gather your team and visually map out the funnel for the period. Perhaps you discover that lots of deals made it to the proposal stage but then went dark. That’s a strong signal that something in late-stage selling (pricing, negotiation, or addressing final objections) might be a problem. Or maybe you see that initial meetings were hard to come by – which points back to prospecting or qualification issues. Pinpointing the funnel stage where deals get stuck turns a broad miss into a specific process issue you can fix.

Often, lost deals are a big factor. Did your win rate drop significantly? Say your historical win rate is 30% but this quarter it was 15%. That’s huge. Dig into why deals were lost. Were you consistently losing to a competitor (which might imply a value prop or pricing issue)? Or, very commonly, did a lot of prospects simply never make a decision? Research shows that in B2B, “no decision” is actually the #1 deal-killer. Between 40% and 60% of B2B deals today end in no decision (9) – not outright lost to a competitor, but rather customers who fail to act due to indecision. If your team is seeing this pattern (prospects ghosting or deferring purchase), it suggests a need to improve how you create urgency and prove ROI to get buyers off the fence.

Identifying bottlenecks also means asking reps: Where did you feel the most resistance in the outbound sales process? Sometimes their qualitative feedback aligns with the data – e.g. “We had trouble getting budget approval at the end” or “Our demos didn’t convert well this time.” Other times, the data might reveal something reps didn’t notice, like an increase in the length of the sales cycle. If your average deal normally closes in 60 days but this quarter it stretched to 90+, that could cause targets to slip past quarter-end.

The good news is that a clear picture of funnel gaps suggests clear remedies. If demos aren’t converting, perhaps the team needs sales training on demo skills or marketing needs to provide better case studies. If late-stage deals are stalling, maybe requalify your opportunities for true buy-in earlier, or add a step to address stakeholder indecision. Tightening up your sales process can dramatically improve results – organizations with a formal sales enablement strategy achieve a 49% higher win rate on forecasted deals (2). That’s a huge performance boost simply from having structure and support in the sales process. Use that as motivation: by addressing the specific funnel stage weaknesses, you can meaningfully increase conversions and ensure the pipeline you do have turns into revenue next time.

Are we targeting the right customers and opportunities?

Sometimes the issue isn’t quantity of leads or even sales skills – it’s quality and focus. This question asks: Did we go after the right prospects, market segments, and deal opportunities? If your sales team spent time chasing leads that were never a great fit, you can end up with a bloated pipeline that doesn’t convert. Conversely, a leaner pipeline of highly qualified, ideal-fit prospects might yield better results. We need to evaluate if our targeting strategy contributed to the miss.

Start by reviewing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and compare it to the pipeline. Did the opportunities align with your ICP (industry, size, need, buyer persona) or were you fishing outside your sweet spot? It’s not uncommon for reps under pressure to fill pipeline to start pursuing anyone who shows interest – even if the lead is a long shot. For example, they might chase an enterprise deal well above your usual customer size, or a prospect in a vertical where you have no track record, simply because the potential dollar amount is tempting. As a result, a lot of effort goes into “unqualified” or low-probability deals that ultimately flame out.

We’ve seen cases where misaligned sales activities doom the team’s chance of hitting goals (3). One scenario: reps focus on a product or segment they’re comfortable with, rather than the new product that actually has better market traction – thus pipeline is full but with deals that don’t close. Another scenario: targeting prospects that are too large or too small. If your solution sells best to mid-market, but the team spent the quarter trying to land a Fortune 500 whale (or conversely, dealing with very small leads that can’t afford you), that’s a targeting miss.

Ask the team: Which deals did we think would close that didn’t, and what do they have in common? You might find patterns – e.g. many came from a certain lead source or segment that historically hasn’t performed. Also look at win rate by segment if you have the data. If win rates were much lower in one industry or region, consider whether that’s a segment worth focusing on or if something needs to change in approach for those leads.

One costly consequence of bad targeting is wasted time. Reps can only do so many meetings and proposals; if those are with the wrong people, you lose sales simply due to opportunity cost. A recent report quantified this: sales reps waste on average 45.5 hours per month chasing leads that never convert (4). That’s over a week of work every month down the drain! Our goal is to eliminate or minimize that waste by sharpening our targeting.

If you conclude that targeting was a factor, the fix might involve refining your lead qualification criteria, providing better data on who is most likely to buy, or adjusting territories/vertical focus. For instance, if marketing is feeding too many low-fit leads, tighten the ICP filters or scoring. If reps are self-prospecting, give them guidance on the highest-yield industries or use intent data to focus outreach. Another solution is outsourcing inside sales or part of the lead generation to experts (like Martal Group’s team) who specialize in finding ready-to-buy prospects matching your ICP – ensuring your reps spend time on high-quality opportunities only.

Bottom line: Sales is not just about working hard, but working smart on the right opportunities. A smaller pipeline of well-targeted prospects can outperform a larger pipeline of long-shots. By asking whether we focused on our best potential customers, we shine a light on the strategic aspect of sales performance. Missed targets often tell us that it’s time to realign our aim at the bullseye, not the outskirts of the dartboard.

How to evaluate sales performance when targets are missed?

When goals slip, it’s critical to take a hard look at the team’s performance metrics and behaviors. This question shifts the analysis to people: How did each sales development representative perform relative to expectations, and what can we learn from the distribution of results? It’s not about blame, but about understanding if there were individual or team-wide performance gaps. We evaluate sales performance by examining key indicators for each rep – things like quota attainment %, number of deals closed, average deal size, conversion rates, and activity levels (calls, emails, meetings set).

Start with quota attainment by rep. Did a few high performers carry most of the revenue while others significantly underperformed? If, say, 2 out of 5 reps hit their individual targets but the rest fell short, the missed team goal could largely be due to those lagging contributors. That suggests a need to identify why those reps struggled – was it lack of experience, inadequate training, lower activity, or perhaps a tougher territory? On the other hand, if no one on the team hit their number, that points to an overarching issue (like an unrealistic goal or poor market conditions) rather than individual failings. This distinction matters for crafting the solution (coaching individuals vs. rethinking strategy).

Review activity and productivity metrics. How many new opportunities did each rep create? What was their average contact rate or number of demos held? Low activity often correlates with low results – for instance, if a rep made 30% fewer outreach attempts than their peers, that’s a performance issue to address. However, sometimes you find a rep had high activity but low conversions, indicating they may need skill development (e.g. help with call techniques or closing sales deals).

It’s also valuable to get qualitative input: ask reps to self-assess what they think they could improve. One rep might say, “I didn’t manage my time well” (and data might back that up, showing lots of time on non-selling tasks). Another might say, “I had trouble handling objections about pricing” – insight you can act on with training. Creating a culture of accountability is important. In fact, one study noted that 44% of sales leaders at firms with field sales teams report difficulty holding salespeople accountable (2). We combat that by using transparent metrics and frank discussions. When everyone knows their numbers and we openly talk about them, accountability becomes more natural and non-punitive – it’s about helping each person improve.

A crucial point: Recognize and learn from your top performers. If one or two people exceeded quota while others didn’t, what did they do differently? Perhaps they cracked into a lucrative new account, or maintained a superior follow-up discipline. Replicate their best practices across the team. Often, peers can coach each other – e.g., the top SDR might share how they craft emails that get responses. We want to elevate the middle-of-the-pack performers by leveraging internal learnings.

Keep perspective that sales performance dips happen to the best of teams. Roughly 57% of sales reps fail to meet quota in a given year (10) – a majority! The goal isn’t to scold but to identify precisely who needs help and in what area. By systematically evaluating performance metrics post-miss, you demonstrate a commitment to improvement. The team sees that we measure what matters. This analytical approach also sends a message: missing a target is not a mysterious curse, but a result of measurable inputs (activities, skills, focus) that we can adjust. Together, we take ownership: our team’s performance is in our hands to improve.

What are prospects’ reasons for not buying from us?

To further our investigation, we need to look outside-in: what feedback or behaviors did we observe from prospects and customers that might explain lost sales? When targets are missed, it’s often because many deals that were expected to close did not materialize. So ask your team: Why did those deals fall through? What reasons did prospects give for saying “no” or delaying? Understanding the buyer’s perspective is pure gold for diagnosing sales issues.

Have the team list out the top “closed-lost” reasons recorded in your CRM or discussed in deal post-mortems. Common reasons might include: “Price was too high,” “Chose a competitor,” “No budget this quarter,” “Lacked needed features,” or the dreaded “No decision/No response.” See which reasons crop up most frequently. If a large chunk of lost deals cite pricing, maybe your value proposition isn’t clear enough to justify the cost, or maybe discount strategy needs review. If competitors are frequently mentioned, it’s worth analyzing what they offered that swayed the buyer (better terms? a feature? stronger relationship?).

One of the most important (and frustrating) reasons is no decision. As we highlighted earlier, many buyers simply opt to do nothing. If your sales team notes that many deals went dark or “stalled out,” it aligns with that broader trend: more than 40% of B2B deals are lost to customer indecision rather than competitors (5). This typically means the customer had interest but got cold feet – often from fear of making a wrong choice or lack of urgency. If this was a factor for your deals, consider it a sign that you may need to adjust your sales approach to better mitigate customer anxiety (for example, by offering pilot programs, stronger ROI proof, or reducing complexity in the decision).

Don’t rely solely on what your team thinks the reasons are – look at any direct data from prospects. This could be survey feedback, loss review calls, or even anecdotal quotes like “We decided to stick with our current solution for now” or “We went with Vendor X because they offered feature Y.” Each piece of feedback is a clue. If you’re not already doing formal win/loss analysis, consider implementing it. Something as simple as an email follow-up to lost prospects asking why they didn’t move forward can surface patterns over time.

It’s also useful to distinguish between controllable and uncontrollable reasons. Economic or market issues (e.g. budgets frozen due to an economic downturn) might be uncontrollable but still need to be noted in your strategy. Controllable issues – like product fit, sales experience, or service – are areas you can work on. For instance, if multiple prospects said they were confused about how your product would deliver results, that’s a messaging and sales enablement problem you can solve with better case studies or demo improvements.

Sharing these insights with the team closes the feedback loop. It reminds everyone that behind every lost deal is a human decision (or indecision) and specific factors. It challenges the team to address those factors next time. For example, if “lack of ROI evidence” was common, make it a priority to introduce ROI calculators or references earlier in the sales cycle. If “timing/budget” was an issue, maybe better lead nurturing or focusing on higher-priority prospects would help.

Ultimately, asking “Why didn’t they buy?” reinforces a customer-centric mindset. It’s not just about what we did or didn’t do; it’s about what the customer perceived and decided. By understanding that, we can adjust our approach so that more deals end in “Yes” rather than “No” (or no decision) going forward.

Does our sales message stand out and address customer needs?

In many cases, sales teams miss targets not because they lack effort, but because their message isn’t resonating with buyers. This question challenges us to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of our sales pitch, value proposition, and overall communication with prospects. We need to ask: Is our sales messaging differentiated and tailored to customer needs, or is it getting lost in the noise? A compelling message can dramatically improve conversion rates, whereas a generic or unclear message will undermine even the best B2B prospecting efforts.

Encourage your team to reflect on their interactions: When you delivered our value proposition or demo, how did prospects react? Were they excited and engaged, or did we get a lot of polite nods and “we’ll think about it”? If your offering doesn’t clearly solve a pain point for the buyer – or if you’re not articulating that solution well – deals will slip away. Half of salespeople say their sales pitches don’t stand out to prospects (4). Think about that: in a survey of reps, 50% admitted that their pitch fails to differentiate them. If we suspect this is true for our team, it’s a big red flag that our messaging needs work.

Relatedly, personalization is key in modern B2B sales. Boilerplate pitches are often ignored. Ask the team how much they tailored conversations to each prospect’s industry, role, or specific challenges. If the answer is “not much,” that could explain a lot. Buyers today expect you to understand their business. In the same survey, 42% of reps said they lacked sufficient personalized information on prospects (4) to make their pitch relevant. We have to fix that – through better pre-call research, use of data and insights, and perhaps sales enablement content that can be easily customized.

Evaluate your sales collateral and product positioning as well. Is your value proposition clear and compelling? Sometimes, missing targets can be traced to a weak value story. For instance, if you’re selling a software solution, are you talking about features or outcomes? Customers care about outcomes (e.g. “increase your conversion rate by 20%” or “save 10 hours a week on reporting”). Ensure your messaging speaks the customer’s language and addresses their pains directly. If it currently focuses too much on your company or product specs, that could be a disconnect.

Also consider how you stack up against competitors in messaging. Do you emphasize what makes you unique? If your pitch sounds similar to others, buyers may see you as a commodity and then default to whichever vendor is cheaper or more familiar. Differentiation is critical – maybe it’s your technology, your service level, your niche focus – whatever it is, make sure it’s highlighted.

One way to audit your messaging is to listen to call recordings or do role-plays. As a team, review a demo or sales call and critique the message: Did we clearly convey value? Did we ask insightful questions to uncover needs? Was the presentation engaging or too generic? Getting the team involved in improving the message not only yields ideas but also reinforces best practices for everyone.

To put it bluntly, if our message isn’t hitting the mark, no amount of hustle will fully compensate. The upside is that improving messaging can quickly boost results without needing huge budget – it’s about strategy and skill. Perhaps we’ll update our pitch deck, refine our email templates, and train reps on storytelling techniques. The goal is that next quarter, when we talk to prospects, they say “That’s interesting… tell me more,” not “Thanks, we’ll be in touch.” A sharp, customer-centric message is what opens wallets and fills order forms.

What improvements (training, tools, support) does our sales team need now?

By this point, we’ve likely identified several areas for improvement – whether it’s pipeline generation, conversion skills, targeting, or messaging. The next question is proactive: What do we, as an organization, need to provide or change to help the team succeed? Missing a target is as much a leadership moment as it is a sales rep moment. We should ask the team directly: What would help you sell more effectively? Their answers might include better training, new lead generation tools or content, more marketing support, or adjustments to processes and incentives.

Sales training and coaching often rise to the top of needs. If reps struggled with certain skills (like lead generation strategies, closing techniques or handling objections), a focused training session or ongoing coaching program could make a big difference. And training isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s an investment with a strong return. Consider this statistic: The ROI for sales training is a whopping 353% (2). That means every $1 spent on quality sales training nets about $4.53 in return through improved sales results. Additionally, companies that provide continuous training see 50% higher net sales per employee than those that don’t (2). These numbers underscore that training your team is one of the smartest moves after a miss. If lack of skill or consistency played a role in the miss, double down on coaching. Even top athletes practice daily with coaches – high-performing salespeople are no different.

What about tools and technology? Ask if your CRM, sales engagement tools, or data resources are meeting the team’s needs. Sometimes reps are hindered by disorganized systems or lack of automation. For example, if follow-ups were missed, maybe implementing a better task reminder system or a sales cadence tool would ensure no lead falls through the cracks. If reps spent too much time researching contacts or doing admin work, maybe investing in a sales enablement platform or lead intelligence tool is warranted. Top sales teams often use technology as a force-multiplier. In fact, top-performing sales orgs use nearly 3× more sales tech than underperforming ones (2) – because the right tools boost productivity. One specific area is AI: 81% of sales teams are investing in AI to automate tasks and personalize outreach (2). We should consider if any AI-driven tools (for lead scoring, email assistance, call analysis, etc.) could help our team work smarter.

Process and structure improvements also fall here. Did the team have a clear sales playbook? If not, creating one could help make sure everyone follows best practices (from discovery through to proposal). Maybe we realize the sales process wasn’t strictly followed, so reinforcing process adherence could lift results (e.g. making sure every opportunity goes through a thorough qualification checklist). Or perhaps marketing and sales alignment was off – maybe marketing can adjust their lead generation campaigns based on the learnings to deliver more qualified sales leads.

Crucially, show your team that leadership is investing in their success. A miss can be demoralizing; the best antidote is an action plan that demonstrates commitment to improvement. For instance, you might announce: “We’re instituting a weekly coaching session for each rep because we know that those who get regular coaching are over 60% more likely to be high performers (1). We’re also allocating budget for a prospecting tools upgrade to give you better data – use it to fill that pipeline!” These actions both equip and motivate the team.

When the team misses a goal, we as leaders missed it together. So we look in the mirror and ask what support was lacking. Often, providing that support in the form of training, tools, or additional resources turns things around dramatically. Remember, a sales team is only as good as the ecosystem around it – now’s the time to strengthen that ecosystem so the team can excel.

How will we ensure we hit our sales targets next quarter?

This final question ties everything together: given all we’ve uncovered, what is our action plan to not miss again? We need to synthesize the insights and improvements into a clear roadmap for the next quarter (and beyond). Essentially, this is about turning diagnosis into prescription. Engage the team in forming this plan – when people help craft the solution, they’re more committed to executing it.

Start by setting realistic targets. If our analysis showed the previous goal was a stretch beyond what the data supports, adjust the upcoming target to be ambitious but attainable. It’s proven that when quotas are realistic, performance improves (reps don’t mentally check out). One analysis found that after companies recalibrated goals to fit real conditions, 72% of reps hit their targets in the following quarter (1). We want goals that motivate, not demoralize. This might involve using historical data and bottom-up input from reps to forecast more accurately. Align the new targets with a solid plan (e.g. if we expect 20% growth, show where the leads and resources for that will come from).

Next, lay out the key initiatives based on everything above. For example: “To ensure success, we will 1) Increase pipeline generation by doing X and Y, 2) Refine our messaging and retrain on product value, 3) Implement weekly deal reviews to catch stalled deals early, 4) Provide extra coaching for reps on skills Z, etc.” Make these initiatives specific. Assign owners and timelines. Perhaps one sales manager will lead the training effort (with measurable outcomes like certification tests), while marketing will deliver a new sales deck by mid-quarter, and so on.

Don’t forget to incorporate leading indicators in your plan. Instead of just saying “we will hit $X next quarter,” define the activity and pipeline metrics that need to happen monthly or weekly to stay on track. For instance, “We need 100 new qualified opportunities by the end of Month 1 to be on pace, and each rep should be making 15% more outreach attempts than last quarter.” By monitoring these, you can adjust in real-time rather than waiting until the end to see you fell short.

Finally, consider if you need extra support or resources that can’t be built in-house quickly enough. This is where Martal Group’s sales outsourcing services come in. Sometimes the fastest way to ensure next quarter’s success is to bring in external help for key areas. For example, if a pipeline has a major gap and your internal team is at capacity, outsourcing lead generation can rapidly fill the top of the funnel. Martal’s team of seasoned sales development reps can act as a fractional extension of your team – handling cold calling, cold emailing, and LinkedIn lead generation services to deliver qualified appointments on your calendar. If your in-house expertise in certain areas (like tackling a new market or training reps) is limited, an outside perspective can accelerate the fix. The point is: don’t hesitate to leverage all available resources to guarantee a win next time.

In summary, ensure the team leaves the diagnostic not with a sense of failure, but with a concrete plan and renewed confidence. Emphasize that by asking tough questions and confronting the data, we’ve learned exactly what to do differently. We’re going to apply these lessons and come back stronger. As a leader or a team, reiterate the commitment: we win together and learn together. The upcoming quarter is our chance to prove that a missed target was just a temporary setback on the path to long-term success.

Now, armed with this data-driven diagnostic and action plan, let’s turn insights into outcomes. We at Martal Group are here to help you execute and exceed those sales targets – if you’re ready to transform your sales performance, we invite you to book a free consultation with our experts. Together, we’ll ensure that missing quota becomes a thing of the past.

References

1. BMS Performance
2. Spotio
3. QuotaPath
4. GTMnow
5. SharpStance
6. Bigtincan
7. Convin
8. Gartner
9. Harvard Business Review
10. Forbes – Shep Hyken