If you’re a sales leader, you probably spend too much time wrestling with spreadsheets and dashboards that promise “insights” but deliver more noise than signal. You want to see—quickly and clearly—which reps are making quota, who’s falling behind, and what’s actually driving results. This guide is for you. We’ll walk through how to run a quota attainment analysis using Xactlycorp, cut through the clutter, and pull out the numbers that really matter.
Why Quota Attainment Still Matters (and What to Watch Out For)
Quota attainment seems basic, but it’s often misunderstood or, worse, misused. Here’s why you should care, and what to keep in mind:
- It’s a basic health check. If most of your team isn’t hitting quota, something’s off—maybe the quotas aren’t realistic, maybe the comp plan is broken, or maybe enablement needs work.
- It’s not the whole story. Chasing quota without context (like territory potential or deal quality) leads to bad habits and burnout.
- The way you measure matters. A poorly set up analysis in Xactlycorp can hide underperformance or inflate results.
So, treat quota attainment as one of several dials on your dashboard—not the only one.
Step 1: Get Your Data House in Order
Before you even log in to Xactlycorp, make sure your sales data is clean. Garbage in, garbage out. Here’s what I mean:
- Quota assignments: Double-check that every rep has the right quota loaded for the right period.
- Closed deals: Make sure the data in your CRM matches what’s in Xactlycorp. Discrepancies here are common, especially if you’re syncing from Salesforce or another CRM.
- Team structures: Confirm that all reps are assigned to the right teams, managers, and territories. Even a small mismatch can throw off rollups.
Pro tip: Don’t assume IT or your ops team caught everything. Spot-check 3-5 random reps’ data. Fix errors before running your analysis.
Step 2: Log In and Find the Right Report
Once you’re in Xactlycorp, don’t get lost in the sea of tabs and widgets. You want a report that tells you, in plain English: “Who’s at quota, who isn’t, and by how much?”
Here’s what works:
- Quota Attainment Report: Usually under “Analytics” or “Reporting.” Look for something labeled “Quota Attainment by Rep” or “Quota Attainment Summary.” If you’re drowning in report options, search for “quota” in the reporting module.
- Filter by Period: Set the date range (e.g., current quarter, year-to-date). Avoid running lifetime or multi-year reports—they’re noisy and rarely useful for action.
- Breakdowns: Use filters to view by team, region, or manager if you want to spot patterns.
What to ignore: Fancy 3D charts, “engagement score” widgets, and anything that looks like it belongs in a VC pitch deck. Stick to tables and bar charts that show actual attainment vs. quota.
Step 3: Customize the Columns (Don’t Trust Defaults)
Default reports in Xactlycorp are usually built by someone who’s never run a sales team. You’ll want to add, remove, or reorder columns so you’re not wading through fluff.
Columns you actually need: - Rep name - Assigned quota - Attainment (as a percent and as a dollar amount) - Total bookings or revenue credited - Period (month, quarter, or year) - Team/manager (optional, but good for rollups)
Columns to skip: - “Potential” or “stretch” quotas (unless you actually pay on them) - Historical “best month” stats (irrelevant for quota analysis) - Random ranking fields (unless your comp plan rewards leaderboard spots)
Pro tip: Save your custom view so you don’t have to redo this every time.
Step 4: Pull the Data and Export It
Even with a slick dashboard, you’ll almost always want to export your quota attainment data to Excel or Google Sheets. Why?
- You can spot-check calculations. Sometimes the report logic is off, or a rep’s deals are credited incorrectly. Do a quick sum for a few reps to make sure the math adds up.
- You can slice and dice your way. Need to see performance by tenure? By segment? Excel is still the easiest tool for this kind of ad-hoc analysis.
- You can annotate or flag issues. Make notes for follow-up without messing up your live reports.
How to export: Look for a download button—usually a downward arrow or “Export” link. Choose CSV or XLSX. If the export is missing columns you need, tweak your report settings first.
Step 5: Analyze—Don’t Just Look at the Numbers
Here’s where most people stop at the “percent to quota” number and call it a day. That’s a mistake. Take a few extra minutes:
- Look for patterns. Are certain teams or regions consistently missing quota? Is it always the same few reps?
- Check for sandbagging. Did a bunch of reps barely clear quota, then fall off a cliff? That’s a sign of gaming the system.
- Seasonality or timing issues. If everyone’s behind in Q1 but catches up in Q4, your quotas or sales cycles might be out of sync with reality.
- Outliers. Is someone blowing away their number? Dig in—maybe they have a territory advantage, or maybe they’re booking deals that shouldn’t count.
Be honest: If your analysis always shows 90%+ attainment, something’s probably fishy. Either the quotas are too low, or the data’s not right.
Step 6: Share Results (Without Causing Panic)
When sharing quota attainment analysis, context matters. You want to be transparent, but not spark a witch hunt or demotivate people. Here’s how to do it well:
- Share team-level data first. This helps managers spot trends without embarrassing individual reps.
- Show trends, not just snapshots. A single bad quarter doesn’t mean someone’s doomed. Look at multi-quarter trends.
- Tie analysis to action. Don’t just say, “Here’s the number.” Suggest specific next steps—like more coaching for underperformers, or quota adjustments if everyone’s missing.
What to avoid: Public shaming slides, “leaderboard” emails that pit reps against each other, or blaming the tool if you don’t like what you see.
Step 7: Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Quota attainment analysis shouldn’t be a once-a-year fire drill. Set a calendar reminder to run your report monthly or quarterly. Over time, you’ll get a real feel for what numbers are useful and which reports are just noise.
If Xactlycorp feels like too much work, simplify. Use only the features you need. Don’t get distracted by shiny add-ons or the latest AI “insight” module unless it actually helps you make better decisions.
Gotchas and Common Pitfalls
- Misaligned quota periods: Make sure your report matches your comp plan periods—monthly quotas vs. quarterly performance can throw everything off.
- Double-counted deals: If reps split deals, check how Xactlycorp handles credit. Misconfigured crediting rules can inflate numbers.
- Overcomplicating analysis: More filters doesn’t mean better insights. Start simple, then layer in complexity only if you need it.
Wrapping Up
Quota attainment analysis in Xactlycorp is only as good as the data and questions you bring to it. Skip the noise, trust but verify, and focus on what helps your team improve. Keep it simple, check regularly, and don’t be afraid to tweak your process until it actually works for you. The goal isn’t the prettiest dashboard—it’s clarity and action.