Jason M. LemkinCEO, SaaStr · Co-Founder of SaaStr AI, SaaStr Fund, Adobe Sign

The Myth of Owning a Full Quota while Managing 8 Sales Reps

15 Sept 2023 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:45

Jason M. Lemkin argues that sales leaders cannot realistically own a full sales quota while managing about eight sales reps. He advises most VPs of Sales (about 80–90%) should close deals when they start — typically for a short period (ideally one or two quarters) — then transition to assisting and joining deals led by their team. The clip emphasizes that exceptions exist (e.g., when the leader already knows/sold the product or is a customer), but holding a long-term full quota while managing a team is generally infeasible.

Questions this video answers

80–90%

About one or two quarters.

Chapters

That doesn't work. You can't. Even in this day of side hustles and multi hustles and everyone running a real estate business on the side and courses on the side as a sales leader, you cannot own a full quota and manage eight reps. It's not possible. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. So what I said years ago was, look, whether they should they hold a quota when they start or not. Sometimes, yes, but it can't last forever, right? And that is true today. But people somewhat misconstrued that to think it doesn't matter if they ever hold the bag. What I have learned is if they already know the product, if they're already a customer, if they've already sold it, sure, they could just be a manager. But I think 80% of VPs of sales today should close when they start. 80 to 90%. They got to close now. Ideally it's just a quarter or two and then they assist deals, they join deals with their team.