Sales Data and Science
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Why Only 27% of Salespeople Hear the Voice That Matters
- March 12, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
Whose voice are you hearing when you’re on a sales call—yours, your coach’s, God’s… or your prospect’s? Most reps never hear the one that actually matters. Here’s why that’s killing their discovery, how the top 10% do it differently, and the simple move that turns you into the person who finally gets the buyer.
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The Fatal Flaw that Causes Strong Salespeople to Strike Out
- February 16, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Baseball and Sales, Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
Discover the hidden fatal flaw that turns strong, high-performing salespeople into strikeout artists. Even top hitters like Babe Ruth racked up Ks—same goes for sales pros who score too high on “Doesn’t Need Approval” without relationship-building skills. Don’t hire the danger zone combo.
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Why 72% of Sales Reps Miss Quota: The Participation Trophy PTSD in the C-Suite
- December 5, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
Why do 72% of sales reps miss quota—and still keep their jobs? Blame the participation trophy mindset creeping into the C-suite, aka Participation Trophy Stifling Determination (PTSD). From Little League fails to sales floor flops, here’s how to crush it with real accountability in 2026.
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Sales Grit: Why Only 20% of Salespeople Have It (And How to Fix the Rest)
- October 12, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
Discover how baseball’s evolving stats mirror the need for relentless sales grit. Drawing from real CEO and VP insights, explore why most salespeople fall short on commitment, perseverance, and more—and what it takes to elevate your team.
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Wild Shifts in Sales Hiring Drive the Hire Rate From 3% to 0.5%
- July 21, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
Struggling to hire sales pros? Dive into real stats from a recent sales manager search: 169 candidates narrowed to 1 hire (0.5% rate). Uncover dramatic changes in response rates, drop-offs, and why a rigorous pipeline with tools like OMG is essential for nailing the right fit.
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Is Complacency to Blame for Missed Quotas? A Deep Dive into Sales Performance Challenges
- May 30, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
Is Complacency to Blame for Missed Quotas? A Deep Dive into Sales Performance Challenges
Is complacency why 57% of reps miss quota? Data from 2.5 million salespeople shows 64% of the bottom 50% lack the Will to Sell. From poor compensation to lack of motivation and discipline, here’s what’s holding them back—and how to fix it.
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New Data: The Top 10% of Salespeople are 619% Stronger Than the Bottom 10%
- May 24, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
New 2025 data reveals a staggering 619% performance gap between the top 10% and bottom 10% of salespeople. While top performers excel in competencies like Relationship Building and Consultative Selling, they’re slipping in areas like Hunting and Closing, influenced by COVID and economic challenges. Dive into the 21 Sales Core Competencies to understand why—and what to do about it.
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New Data: My Top 5 Unacceptable Sales Performance Findings
- February 14, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
The report says, “87% reported that their sales teams were having difficulty meeting or exceeding quota.” That is so much worse than what has been reported in recent years when the numbers were closer to 55%-60%. This is problematic for more than the obvious reason. When salespeople aren’t hitting quotas, companies need to hire more salespeople, which increases the cost of recruiting, salaries and benefits, not to mention the costs associated with hiring additional sales managers that won’t coach up their salespeople. It also reinforces a culture of mediocrity because when not hitting quota is normal and expected, more people don’t hit quota because their jobs are clearly not in jeopardy.
The next finding explains the previous finding.
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Magazine Discredits Their “Born to Sell” Article with Junk Science
- October 25, 2024
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
They identified five areas where those with genetic traits outperform others. They claim that those are:
Tailor Your Approach
Conduct a Sales Debrief
Refine Your Skills Through Practice and Experimentation
Use Data Analytics to Inform Your Decision Making
Invest in Ongoing Training and MentorshipOther than number 2 (of course we’re singling out #2 in an article that’s full of crap!), the other four are not sales or marketing specific but are simply common-sense goals for anyone interested in self-improvement.
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Use Sales Scorecards Because People are Fickle
- April 24, 2024
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Data and Science, Understanding the Sales Force
A properly constructed sales scorecard objectively scores an opportunity and accurately predicts whether or not you will win the business. Not to be confused with a marketing scorecard which scores a lead based on how closely it comes to your target customer, a sales scorecard assigns weighted points based on whether the buying conditions are consistent with those that typically result in a win.
