You missed quota last year and are interviewing for a new sales role.

You know they want people with a “proven track record of hitting quota.” What do you do? What do you say? 

Here’s your playbook:

1. Be Upfront and Clear

First, be upfront about your metrics and be very clear:

“My goal was X. I hit Y, that resulted in 82%. I closed Z number of deals, with an average deal size of $XYZ. My deal count was on point, but my average transaction size was a bit lower than where it needed to be to get to 100%. Here’s why that was the case …”

You need to be explicit about the metrics, the numbers, the pipeline, the average deal size, the deal volume, throughput, and more. Doing this is going a long way to make up the delta between 82% and 100%. The hiring manager should believe you know the mechanics of success inside and out.

2. Provide Context

Second, provide context about the team and your performance. NOT EXCUSES. 

Find a win in there. Maybe you were in the top half of performers, or better?

“There were 12 folks on my team, and while I only finished last year at 82%, I was 3rd on the team, and only 13% behind the top performer. The distribution of performance was as follows: half the team was below 60%, the top performer was 95%, and I was third at 82%. Obviously, there were some challenges across the team, including …”

Talk about why you think performance was what it was (the challenges), but don’t make them sound like excuses. And don’t trash your company or former leaders. Be measured, be direct, and be fact-based.

3. Take Ownership

Third, take ownership, don’t make excuses.

“I thought 82% was OK performance, but my objective was to be first on the team, and here are three things that I think I could have done better in that role to get me from third to first.”

Then list those three (or however many) areas for improvement, and make sure they would be applicable to how you would succeed in this new role. You know there were things you could have done better. Own them.

Always close this portion with your expectations for yourself and reiterate the areas you’d be focused on to drive to 100% in this new role.

You’re not Alone

The reality is that many of your peers interviewing for the same role have also been below quota, so the difference of who’s moving forward will come down to who the hiring manager believes will hit at their org.

Remember, only about 41% of folks hit quota last year!

Lastly, as a reminder: don’t lie. About anything.