Brian HoppeBoard-Level Advisor to MSP CEOs, Brian Hoppe Coaching · Board-Level Advisor to MSP CEOs at Brian Hoppe Coaching

Why MSP Sales Teams Miss Quota (Even at $90M)

6 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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1:12

In this segment, the speakers discuss why managed service provider (MSP) sales teams frequently miss their revenue quotas, even at companies generating $25‑$90 million in annual revenue. Speaker A shares an anecdote from a round‑table of ten MSPs, noting that none of the firms have more than one sales rep who consistently meets quota, despite having multiple reps on staff. Speaker B proposes a diagnostic framework: first, ensure the salesforce has the right seller profile (hunting‑only versus account‑management hybrids) so that reps are daily focused on prospecting; second, verify that quota numbers are realistic and not arbitrarily set by finance; third, confirm that incentive compensation aligns with the desired behaviors; and fourth, examine the internal sales culture, arguing that a sub‑culture that doesn’t nurture a “live‑and‑breathe sales” mindset hampers performance. The conversation highlights that mis‑alignment in role, quota, incentives, and culture collectively explains why MSP sales teams under‑perform.

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And anecdotally, I'll be sitting in a room with 10 companies that are between, let's say, $25 and $90 million in revenue. And we go around, okay, how many reps do you have? We've got 5, you know, we've got 8, we've got 12. And then how many of you have more than one rep that is consistently hitting their quota? And there's none. So that is, yeah, I mean, obviously that's problematic, right? Because we're not hitting as a group, we're not hitting our revenue goals and our growth goals. And so how would you fix the problem?
First thing I'd look at is alignment and I'd figure out my pattern recognition would tell me You probably don't have a room of all hunting-only sellers. There's probably a mix of account management where they can land and expand in some capacity. So that's job number one is do I have the right profile for a seller that is going to be producing? They wake up every day knowing they have to prospect and set new meetings. So that'd be number one. The second would be is a quota alignment. Did I just make it up? Is it something finance wanted and I just put it in a spreadsheet and that's what I gave them as a quota? The other thing is, is do I have them incented in the right ways? The 4th thing I would look at, Brian, is culture. What type of culture do I create? It's a subculture in every MSP that doesn't foster a place where salespeople want to live and breathe.