What percent of sales is actual skill vs just being at the right company at the right time? I’ve worked at companies where I felt like I could close anything—and others where it felt like dragging a dead body across the finish line for a 3% commission. Like if you dropped a “top performer” into a mediocre company with a weak product, would they still crush it? Or is most of this just about playing the right hand? How much of sales is pure selling ability vs just lucking into a strong product, territory, comp plan, timing, etc?
This is the only correct answer
Yes, yes, and YES As someone that used to consult into sales and marketing teams - territory planning, account seg, ICP, quota setting, persona work, etc...one of the questions we'd ask leadership: "If we took your top performing rep and gave them the territory of your lowest performing rep - and vice versa - how much lift/falloff would you see in those swapped territories?" But nothing beats timing - period. I don't care how good you are, you won't get me to buy if I don't have a need for it yet.
Everything. Person on my team just closed a new logo 500k in 30 days. Completely right place, zero talent.
Jeez that is a good question. Right time right place can be lucrative. Inheriting deals that close at 6 figures or a product that’s flying off the shelves. I’ve seen this more often than sales reps using their skill to close, but when I have seen the latter, those reps earn triple what the former reps do. I think skill/top performers can only do so much… if the product isn’t critical they’ll struggle there too.
a talented seller will struggle at a bad org. a decent rep will do decently at a good org. a bad salesperson will be bad everywhere.
Jordan @ RepVue here... I've heard it said before that sales success typically comes down to 3 T's: Timing Territory Talent In that order. Ryan recently did a video on this topic: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGWu1oTx4K4/