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Why 77% of Sellers are Still Missing Quota (It's Not a Skill Issue)
Amy Osmond Cook
February 24, 2026
Why 77% of Sellers are Still Missing Quota (It's Not a Skill Issue)
In Today’s Email
The top 10 Sales Stories of the week
Tip of the week
And more!
The Top 10 Sales Stories of 2026 So Far
The gap between AI-native sales teams and everyone else just got wide enough to drive a truck through. We are seeing a massive split in performance metrics as we head deeper into 2026.
83% of sales teams using AI saw growth last year compared to 66% of those who didn't. That is not a marginal advantage. It is a survival metric.
Most CROs hire analysts when they need architects. A true RevOps leadership team owns strategy, data orchestration, and process optimization rather than just fixing broken reports.
Conversion rates are up 32% for tech-enabled teams. The tools are handling the low-value friction so sellers can focus on the human side of closing.
Distrust in compensation plans is silently killing morale. Shadow accounting and complex plans are distracting reps from the only thing that matters: selling.
Sales pros using AI tools save two hours of admin work daily. That is an entire extra day of selling per week per rep. Productivity is up 44% as a result.
Stop asking "how many heads do we need?" and start asking "what is the cost of a productive rep?" Aligning finance and territory design prevents bloated CAC and missed forecasts.
Speed kills deals, but AI kills delays. Faster insights and automated follow-ups are compressing cycles and driving a reported 70% increase in average deal size.
If your ads look like Apple and your sales decks look like 1995, you lose trust. Connect visual psychology to revenue outcomes to keep buyers engaged through the funnel.
43% of reps are now actively using these tools. The early adopter phase is over. We are now in the "adapt or become obsolete" phase of sales technology.
The market is betting the house on this technology. With semiconductor sales up 26%, the infrastructure is scaling to support even heavier enterprise workloads.
Sales Tip of the Week: Stop planning for headcount and start planning for efficiency
Traditional capacity planning creates expensive blind spots. It usually defaults to "we need more bodies to cover more territory."
Instead, integrate Finance into the process early. Use the Sales Efficiency (Magic Number) metric—Net new ARR divided by sales and marketing spend—as your North Star.
Why it matters: Growth without efficiency is just expensive noise. When you connect territory design to financial outcomes, you stop negotiating budgets and start architecting profitable growth.
Navin Persaud: Pace, Not Perfection: The Real Secret to Scaling SaaS
In this episode of Go To Market, sponsored by Fullcast and Silicon Slopes, Amy Cook sits down with Navin Persaud, VP of RevOps at 1Password, to describe what really drives scalable revenue.
They explore why RevOps must stay neutral (not under Sales or IT), why it should make up 10% of your GTM org, and why operational clarity—not just reporting—is the true growth engine. If you’re scaling post–product-market fit, this is your blueprint.
Listen and subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.
Did you hear? Fullcast published a book!
The RevOps Advantage reveals how the best revenue teams operate like world-class pit crews—driving alignment, executing seamless handoffs, and making every move data-driven.
Co-authors Ryan Westwood, Dr. Amy Osmond Cook, and Bala Balabaskaran break down why nearly half of RevOps leaders are investing in AI for sharper insights, and how you can use automation to deliver the accelerated growth your board needs.
 | Amy Osmond Cook, PhD Cofounder and CMO at Fullcast
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