Best examples of sales performance metrics examples for modern sales teams

High-impact examples of sales performance metrics examples for 2024

Let’s skip the theory and start with concrete metrics you can actually put on a sales scorecard. These examples of sales performance metrics examples are used by modern sales organizations to evaluate reps, managers, and even entire regions.

The most useful metrics fall into five buckets:

• Revenue and quota metrics
• Pipeline and forecast metrics
• Activity and productivity metrics
• Conversion and win-rate metrics
• Customer and long-term value metrics

The right mix gives you a balanced view: not just how much a rep sold, but how they sold, and whether those deals are likely to stick.

Revenue-focused example of sales performance metrics

When people think “sales metrics,” they usually think revenue. That’s fair. But if you’re using revenue alone to judge performance, you’re missing context.

Here are revenue-focused metrics that show up in the best examples of sales performance metrics examples:

1. Quota attainment (monthly, quarterly, annual)

Quota attainment is the percentage of a rep’s target they actually hit over a period. It’s the backbone of most performance reviews and compensation plans.

How it’s used in reviews:

• 100–110%+: Often rated as exceeding expectations
• 90–99%: Meets expectations with room to improve
• Below 80%: Typically triggers coaching or performance plans

Real example:
An enterprise account executive with a \(1.2M annual quota closes \)1.35M by year-end. Their quota attainment is 112.5%. In a performance review, this rep would likely be highlighted as a top performer and a candidate for strategic accounts.

2. New business revenue vs. expansion revenue

Separating new logo revenue from expansion (upsell/cross-sell) revenue gives a more nuanced view of performance.

Why it matters:

• New business revenue shows prospecting and closing skills.
• Expansion revenue shows relationship management and account growth skills.

Real example:
Two reps both close \(800,000 this year. Rep A brings in \)600,000 from new clients and \(200,000 from expansion. Rep B brings in \)150,000 from new clients and $650,000 from expansion. In a performance review, you’d evaluate them differently: Rep A might be ideal for hunting new territories, while Rep B might be better suited to a customer success or strategic account role.

3. Average deal size (by segment)

Average deal size helps you understand whether reps are targeting the right customers and positioning higher-value solutions.

How to use it:

• Compare average deal size by rep within the same segment (SMB vs. mid-market vs. enterprise).
• Use it to see who consistently lands larger, more strategic deals.

Real example:
In a mid-market team, the average rep closes \(18,000 deals. One rep averages \)32,000 per deal over the year. Even if they close fewer total deals, their performance review should highlight their strength in higher-value consultative selling.

Pipeline health metrics: examples include quality, not just volume

If you only review revenue, you’re always looking backward. Pipeline metrics let you assess future performance and coaching opportunities.

4. Pipeline coverage ratio

Pipeline coverage is the ratio of pipeline value to quota for a given period. Many B2B teams target 3x to 5x pipeline coverage, depending on sales cycle length and win rates.

Real example:
A rep has a quarterly quota of \(200,000. Their qualified pipeline is \)600,000. That’s 3x coverage. If their historical win rate is 30%, they’re reasonably positioned to hit quota. In a performance review, a manager might praise their pipeline discipline and forecasting reliability.

5. Stage conversion rates

Stage conversion tracks the percentage of opportunities that move from one sales stage to the next (e.g., Discovery → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed Won).

This is one of the best examples of sales performance metrics examples for coaching, because it reveals where reps are getting stuck.

Real example:

• Team average: 70% of opportunities move from Discovery to Proposal.
• One rep: Only 45% make that jump.

In a review, the manager can highlight this gap and build a plan focused on discovery skills, qualification quality, and needs analysis.

6. Sales cycle length (by rep and segment)

Sales cycle length measures the average number of days from opportunity creation to close.

Why it matters:

• Shorter cycles can indicate strong qualification and deal management.
• Longer cycles may be normal for complex enterprise deals, but outliers can signal stalled opportunities.

Real example:
In a SaaS company, the average mid-market sales cycle is 45 days. One rep averages 29 days while maintaining a healthy win rate. In a performance review, their speed plus quality makes them a model for process best practices.

For broader context on using data to manage performance and productivity, managers often look to research from organizations like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which publishes data on productivity trends and labor efficiency across industries: https://www.bls.gov.

Activity and productivity: examples of behavior-based metrics

Activity metrics are easy to overuse. Counting calls for the sake of counting calls is lazy management. The better approach is to track activity quality and consistency, not just raw volume.

Here are practical examples of sales performance metrics examples focused on activity:

7. Qualified meetings set and held

Instead of raw “calls made,” many teams now track qualified meetings booked and held with decision-makers.

How to define it:
A qualified meeting might require:

• The right persona (e.g., VP or director level)
• A real business need identified
• A clear next step agreed on

Real example:
An SDR is measured on 20 qualified meetings held per month. In a performance review, you’d look at how consistently they hit that target and how those meetings convert to opportunities.

8. Contact-to-meeting conversion rate

This metric tracks how effectively a rep turns outreach (emails, calls, LinkedIn touches) into booked meetings.

Why it matters:
Two reps can make the same number of calls, but one converts at 15% and the other at 5%. The first rep is using better messaging, targeting, or timing.

Real example:
An inside sales rep reaches out to 400 contacts in a month and books 40 qualified meetings. That’s a 10% contact-to-meeting conversion rate. In the review, you’d discuss how this compares to the team benchmark and what specific tactics drive their success.

9. Follow-up consistency

With more buyers researching independently, timely follow-up is a strong predictor of success. Some teams measure average response time to inbound leads or follow-up touchpoints per opportunity.

Real example:
Sales operations reports that reps who respond to inbound leads within 1 hour have a 7x higher qualification rate than those who respond after 24 hours. A rep consistently responding in under 30 minutes should see that behavior positively highlighted in their performance evaluation.

Research from Harvard Business Review has shown similar patterns: faster follow-up on inbound leads is strongly correlated with higher conversion rates. You can explore related data and analysis at https://hbr.org.

Conversion and win-rate: best examples for evaluating closing skills

Conversion metrics are some of the best examples of sales performance metrics examples because they cut through activity noise and show whether a rep can actually close business.

10. Win rate (by count and by value)

Win rate can be calculated two ways:

• By count: Deals won ÷ total deals
• By value: Revenue won ÷ total pipeline value

Real example:
Two reps both close $500,000 in a quarter.

• Rep A: Wins 10 out of 20 deals (50% by count)
• Rep B: Wins 5 out of 40 deals (12.5% by count)

In a performance review, Rep A’s higher win rate suggests stronger qualification and deal management, even though the revenue is the same.

11. Proposal-to-close conversion rate

This metric zeroes in on the final stages of the process. It’s especially useful for enterprise or high-ACV teams.

Real example:
A rep sends 30 formal proposals in a quarter and closes 9 deals. That’s a 30% proposal-to-close rate. If the team average is 18%, this rep’s closing skill should be recognized and documented in their review.

12. Discount dependency

Tracking the average discount given per deal reveals whether a rep relies too heavily on price cuts to close.

How to use it:

• Compare each rep’s average discount to team or policy guidelines.
• Highlight reps who maintain strong win rates with lower discounts.

Real example:
Team average discount: 18%. One rep averages 9% while maintaining a similar win rate. In performance discussions, this rep can be recognized for value-based selling and protecting margin.

Customer-focused examples of sales performance metrics examples

The best-performing sales organizations in 2024 are not just chasing new logos; they’re measuring long-term customer impact. These examples of sales performance metrics examples focus on retention, satisfaction, and value over time.

13. Customer retention and renewal rate

For subscription or contract-based businesses, renewals are a direct reflection of how well the sales team sets expectations and sells the right-fit customers.

Real example:
A customer success–aligned account executive manages a book of \(2M in annual recurring revenue (ARR). At renewal, \)1.9M renews, and $100,000 churns. That’s a 95% renewal rate. In a performance review, this would be a strong indicator of quality deals and customer alignment.

14. Net revenue retention (NRR)

NRR measures how much recurring revenue you keep and expand from existing customers, excluding new logos.

Why it matters:
NRR above 100% means your existing customers are growing with you, offsetting any churn.

Real example:
A rep’s portfolio starts the year at $1M ARR. By year-end:

• $50,000 churns
• $150,000 in upsells and cross-sells

NRR = (\(1M − \)50k + \(150k) ÷ \)1M = 110%. That performance should be highlighted as strong account growth and healthy customer relationships.

15. Customer satisfaction or NPS tied to rep

Some organizations connect post-sale surveys or Net Promoter Score (NPS) to the original sales rep, especially in high-touch or enterprise environments.

Real example:
After onboarding, customers are asked to rate how well the solution matched the expectations set by sales. A rep’s average score over the year is 4.7 out of 5, compared to a team average of 4.1. In a performance review, this metric supports the narrative that they sell honestly and set accurate expectations.

For broader context on measuring satisfaction and outcomes, many organizations look to public-sector guidance on survey design and outcome measurement, such as resources from the U.S. General Services Administration at https://www.gsa.gov.

How to use these examples in performance reviews

Knowing examples of sales performance metrics examples is one thing; using them well in performance reviews is another. The goal is not to drown reps in data. It’s to create a clear, fair, and consistent story about performance.

Here’s how managers typically apply these metrics in real review conversations:

• Pick a balanced mix. Instead of over-indexing on quota attainment, combine revenue, pipeline, activity, and customer metrics. For example, a review might highlight quota attainment, win rate, average deal size, pipeline coverage, and renewal rate.
• Compare like with like. Always compare reps within the same segment and territory type. An enterprise seller’s sales cycle and deal size will look very different from an SMB seller’s.
• Turn metrics into coaching plans. If stage conversion is low at the proposal stage, the development plan might focus on proposal quality, ROI storytelling, and objection handling.
• Document trends, not just snapshots. A rep who improves win rate from 18% to 26% over two quarters deserves recognition, even if they’re not yet at the team average.

To keep your performance process fair, it’s worth aligning with broader HR and performance management guidance from universities and research organizations. For example, many HR teams look at resources from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) or academic centers like Cornell University’s ILR School: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu.

FAQ: examples of sales performance metrics examples

Q1. What are the best examples of sales performance metrics examples for individual reps?
Strong examples for individual reps usually include quota attainment, win rate, pipeline coverage, average deal size, qualified meetings held, and renewal or expansion revenue where applicable. Together, these show both short-term production and long-term customer impact.

Q2. Can you give an example of a simple sales performance scorecard?
A simple scorecard for an account executive might track: quarterly quota attainment, win rate by value, pipeline coverage ratio, average deal size, and customer renewal rate for their accounts. Each metric can be weighted (for instance, 40% quota attainment, 25% win rate, 15% pipeline coverage, 10% average deal size, 10% renewal rate) to create an overall performance rating.

Q3. Which examples of sales performance metrics examples work best for SDRs or BDRs?
For SDRs or BDRs, examples include qualified meetings set and held, contact-to-meeting conversion rate, opportunity creation rate, and adherence to follow-up SLAs for inbound leads. Some teams also track pipeline value influenced by the SDR to connect their work more directly to revenue.

Q4. How often should managers review these metrics with reps?
Most high-performing teams review key sales performance metrics weekly or biweekly in one-on-one meetings, then use the same metrics formally in quarterly and annual performance reviews. The consistency matters more than the exact cadence; reps should never be surprised by the numbers discussed in a formal review.

Q5. Are activity metrics still useful if we focus on outcomes?
Yes, but they should be framed as leading indicators, not the final goal. Activity metrics like outreach volume and meetings held are helpful for newer reps, new territories, or when diagnosing performance issues. The key is to connect them to outcome metrics such as opportunities created and revenue closed, rather than treating raw activity as success on its own.