How to Manage Underperforming Sales Reps and Boost Team Success
Knowing how to manage underperforming sales reps is essential for keeping your team motivated, productive, and on track to hit revenue goals.
Every sales leader has faced it. That one rep who just isn’t delivering. Maybe their numbers are slipping. Maybe they’re struggling to close deals. Or maybe they seem disengaged, going through the motions without the hunger to win.
Whatever the reason, underperformance isn’t just a problem for the sales rep—it’s a problem for the entire sales team. One rep missing quota can drag down morale, slow momentum, and put revenue targets at risk. And in today’s fast-moving sales environment, sales leaders must know how to manage underperforming sales reps effectively to protect team performance and hit revenue goals.
The good news? Underperformance is not permanent. With the right approach, struggling reps can turn things around. In fact, companies that provide even decent sales coaching see 8.4% higher revenue year-over-year—95% better than those that don’t (TaskDrive). And with effective coaching, win rates can increase by as much as 29%.
More sales leaders are realizing that improving the productivity of existing reps is the key to hitting targets. If you wait too long to address underperformance, you risk losing deals, damaging team morale, and missing growth opportunities.
So how do you move a rep from struggling to succeeding? It starts with identifying the root cause, setting clear expectations, and providing targeted coaching that drives real improvement.
This post will walk you through a proven, step-by-step process to manage underperforming reps, backed by real-world sales leadership strategies. Plus, I’ve included a checklist to make sure you don’t overlook anything.
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Managing underperforming reps is just one piece of the puzzle. The Sales Leader’s Handbook gives you the strategies, tools, and insights to build a high-performing sales team, coach with confidence, and drive lasting success.
6 Proven Steps to Manage Underperforming Sales Reps
Underperformance doesn’t fix itself. As a sales leader, you need to diagnose the issue, set clear expectations, and act quickly to get reps back on track. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to reverse bad habits and rebuild confidence.
Below are six proven steps that explain how to handle underperforming sales reps, drive improvement, and turn struggles into success.
1. Identify the Root Cause of Underperforming Sales Reps
Before you can fix the problem, you need to understand why it’s happening. Underperformance isn’t always about effort—sometimes, reps struggle because of unclear expectations, skill gaps, or even external challenges outside their control. If you want to know how to manage underperforming sales reps effectively, the first step is diagnosing the issue rather than making assumptions.
Common reasons sales reps underperform include:
🔹 Lack of clarity—They don’t fully understand goals, quotas, or expectations.
🔹 Skills gaps—Weaknesses in prospecting, negotiation, or closing are holding them back.
🔹 Low motivation—Burnout, lack of recognition, or disengagement is affecting performance.
🔹 Market challenges—A shifting industry, new competitors, or changing buyer behavior is making selling harder.
🔹 Personal obstacles—Health issues, personal struggles, or other distractions are impacting focus.
Your role as a leader is to diagnose—not assume. Rushing to judgment without gathering the right information can make matters worse. The best way to manage underperformance is to identify the specific challenge and create a targeted plan for improvement.
✅ Action Step:
Schedule a one-on-one conversation with the rep. Ask open-ended questions such as:
- What challenges are you facing in your sales process?
- Do you feel confident in your approach, or are there areas where you need more support?
- Are there any external factors affecting your performance?
This conversation should be collaborative, not confrontational. You’re not just pointing out problems—you’re working together to find solutions.
2. Set Clear Expectations and Goals
Underperformance often starts with unclear expectations. If a sales rep doesn’t know exactly what success looks like, how can they achieve it? One of the most effective ways to manage underperforming sales reps is to set clear, measurable goals that eliminate confusion and create accountability.
Vague directives like “Sell more” or “Improve your numbers” won’t cut it. Sales reps need specific targets tied to their daily activities, such as:
🔹 Number of outreach attempts per day
🔹 Pipeline growth per week
🔹 Conversion rates from demo to close
🔹 Revenue goals for the quarter
The SMART Goal Framework helps ensure expectations are actionable. Goals are:
- Specific – Define exactly what the rep needs to achieve.
- Measurable – Use data to track progress.
- Achievable – Goals should challenge the rep but remain realistic.
- Relevant – Align goals with overall sales team objectives.
- Time-bound – Set deadlines to create urgency.
Once expectations are set, document them. Reps should leave the conversation knowing:
📌 What’s expected of them each day, week, and month.
📌 How performance will be measured.
📌 What support they’ll receive to improve.
✅ Action Step:
Have a goal-setting conversation with the rep. Frame it as a path to success, not a punishment. Say something like this:
“I want to help you succeed. Let’s set clear, achievable goals so you have a roadmap to get back on track.”
When sales reps know exactly what’s expected and how to get there, they gain confidence. And confident reps sell more.
3. Provide Targeted Coaching and Support for Underperforming Sales Reps
Once expectations are set, the next step in handling underperforming sales reps is coaching them toward success. Underperformance isn’t always a motivation issue—many reps simply need better guidance, skill development, and ongoing support.
A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. The best sales leaders tailor coaching to each rep’s specific challenges. Some reps may struggle with objection handling, while others may need help with time management or prospecting techniques. The key is to identify weaknesses and provide coaching that directly addresses them.
Effective sales coaching includes:
🔹 Role-playing sales conversations to improve pitch delivery and objection handling.
🔹 Call reviews to analyze real interactions and pinpoint areas for improvement.
🔹 Shadowing top performers to learn winning techniques firsthand.
🔹 Regular one-on-one sessions focused on progress, not just performance.
Coaching must be ongoing—not a one-time fix. Reps need continuous learning reinforcement and real-time feedback to develop lasting skills.
✅ Action Step:
Schedule weekly coaching sessions with underperforming reps. Use a structured approach like the GROW model (Goal, Reality, Options, Will):
- Goal: What does the rep want to achieve?
- Reality: Where are they now? What’s holding them back?
- Options: What strategies can they use to improve?
- Will: What actions will they commit to before the next session?
Coaching is one of the most powerful tools for improving sales performance. With the right support, struggling reps can turn things around—and even become top performers.
4. Give Constructive, Data-Driven Feedback
Feedback can make or break a sales rep’s improvement. One of the most important steps in managing underperforming sales reps is delivering feedback that is clear, specific, and actionable. Too often, leaders give vague criticism like “You need to sell more”—but that doesn’t tell the rep what to change or how to improve.
Effective feedback is:
🔹 Specific – Pinpoint the exact issue. Instead of “Your close rate is low,” say, “Your conversion rate from demo to close is 15%, while the team average is 30%. Let’s work on your closing techniques.”
🔹 Data-driven – Use metrics to remove emotion from the conversation and focus on facts.
🔹 Balanced – Highlight strengths as well as areas for improvement. Reps need to know what they’re doing well, not just what needs fixing.
🔹 Timely – Address issues as soon as they arise so bad habits don’t become permanent.
How to Structure Feedback for Maximum Impact:
- Start with a Positive – Reinforce what they’re doing well to keep morale high.
- Present the Data – Show them the numbers to create clarity around the issue.
- Offer a Solution – Provide actionable steps to improve.
- End with Encouragement – Reinforce your belief in their ability to improve.
✅ Action Step:
The next time you give feedback, try this framework:
“You’re great at engaging prospects, but I’ve noticed your follow-ups drop off after the second touchpoint. Your conversion rate is lower than the team average. Let’s refine your follow-up strategy so you can improve your close rate. I know you can do this.”
When sales reps receive clear, constructive, and encouraging feedback, they are far more likely to adjust their approach and improve their results.
5. Use AI and Data to Drive Performance Improvement
Gut feelings don’t fix underperformance—data does. If you want to know how to manage underperforming sales reps effectively, you need insights, not assumptions. The best sales leaders use AI-driven tools and performance analytics to identify trends, diagnose weaknesses, and personalize coaching.
🔹 Conversation intelligence – AI-powered tools analyze sales calls, identifying patterns in successful and unsuccessful deals. If a rep struggles with objection handling, the data will show it.
🔹 Sales enablement platforms – These systems deliver personalized training content and reinforcement learning, ensuring reps get the right coaching at the right time.
🔹 Performance dashboards – Real-time analytics help leaders track KPIs such as conversion rates, deal velocity, and quota attainment. If a rep’s demo-to-close rate drops, you’ll see it instantly.
Why It Matters:
High-performing organizations are 1.7x more likely to use data to evaluate training effectiveness, research from Allego and RAIN Group shows. That’s because data removes bias, helping leaders make smarter, faster coaching decisions.
✅ Action Step:
Audit your current sales tech stack. Are you using AI-driven insights to enhance coaching? If not, start by:
- Reviewing sales call analytics to spot coaching opportunities.
- Using CRM data to track underperformance patterns.
- Leveraging sales enablement platforms to deliver targeted training.
Technology won’t replace leadership, but it will make you a better, more informed manager and coach. The right data, combined with the right coaching, can turn an underperforming rep into a top producer.
6. Build a Culture of Growth and Motivation
A one-time coaching session won’t fix underperformance. To succeed at managing underperforming sales teams members, you need to create a culture where growth, accountability, and continuous improvement are the norm.
How do you do that? By making performance conversations ongoing instead of just reacting when things go wrong. Reps should expect regular check-ins, skill development opportunities, and clear accountability measures—not just when they’re struggling, but at all times.
🔹 Foster ownership – Reps should take responsibility for their performance. Encourage self-reflection by asking, “What’s one thing you could improve this week?”
🔹 Celebrate progress – Recognize small wins, not just big results. This keeps motivation high and reinforces positive behaviors.
🔹 Encourage peer learning – Have top performers share their strategies in team meetings to inspire others.
🔹 Set clear consequences – Underperformance should come with defined next steps. If a rep doesn’t improve, there must be a structured plan for reassessment.
Accountability isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about creating an environment where success is expected. Sales reps thrive when they know their leaders are invested in their growth.
✅ Action Step:
Implement a weekly progress review where reps:
- Self-assess their performance.
- Identify areas for improvement.
- Set a goal for the next week.
When accountability is a habit, underperformance becomes the exception—not the rule.
Sales Leader’s Checklist: How to Manage Underperforming Sales Reps
Managing underperformance isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about identifying challenges, coaching effectively, and holding reps accountable. Use this checklist to ensure you’re taking the right steps:
✅ Identify the root cause – Diagnose whether the issue is skill-based, motivation-related, or external. Don’t assume—ask the right questions.
✅ Set clear expectations and goals – Use the SMART framework to define specific, measurable performance targets. Reps need to know exactly what success looks like.
✅ Provide targeted coaching and support – Customize coaching to each rep’s challenges. Use role-playing, call reviews, and shadowing to develop key skills.
✅ Give constructive, data-driven feedback – Keep feedback specific, balanced, and backed by performance metrics to remove subjectivity and drive improvement.
✅ Leverage AI and sales data – Use AI-powered analytics, conversation intelligence, and CRM insights to pinpoint performance gaps and personalize coaching.
✅ Build a culture of accountability and growth – Establish weekly check-ins, goal-setting, and peer learning to make continuous improvement a habit.
Final Thought: Underperformance isn’t a permanent label—it’s a temporary challenge. With the right leadership, struggling reps can become top performers. By following these steps, you’ll have a clear framework for how to manage underperforming sales reps and turn challenges into growth opportunities. The key is to take action, provide support, and build a culture where success is expected.
About the author: David Ashe is author of the book Get Your Team into G.E.A.R: A Tactical Approach to SDR Leadership. He is also director of sales development at Allego. In that role, he oversees a sales team responsible for growing the company’s customer base, revenue, and profitability within the United States.
Get the Full Playbook: Download The Sales Leader’s Handbook
Managing underperforming reps is just one part of leading a high-performing sales team. To build a culture of success, you need the right strategies, tools, and insights.
The Sales Leader’s Handbook gives you a proven framework to:
- Hire and develop top-performing sales reps
- Implement effective coaching and leadership techniques
- Leverage AI and data to drive revenue growth
- Foster a culture of learning, collaboration, and accountability
Don’t just manage—lead with confidence. Download your free copy now.
