Sales Performance Improvement Plans: Why Most PIPs Are Just Slow Firing

It is about fit. The wrong person in the right role will always underperform the right person in any role. By Kayvon Kay | Revenue Architect, Founder of SalesFit.ai The short answer: Most Sales Perfor...

Sales performance is not about motivation, training, or even talent. It is about fit. The wrong person in the right role will always underperform the right person in any role.

By Kayvon Kay | Revenue Architect, Founder of SalesFit.ai

The Harsh Truth: Why Most Sales PIPs Are Doomed

I have built 101 sales teams. I have assessed over 12,000 sales reps. And in that time, I have seen countless Performance Improvement Plans implemented. The vast majority fail. Why? Because they are built on a flawed premise.

Most PIPs assume the rep can perform, but isn't. They assume a lack of motivation, a gap in training, or a temporary dip in effort. So, what do companies do? They mandate more training, set aggressive activity targets, and schedule weekly check ins. They try to fix the roof when the foundation is crumbling.

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of sales performance. My Revenue Architecture Model teaches that sales is not a department; it is an architecture. The foundation is people (who you hire), the structure is process (how they sell), and the roof is technology (what tools support them). Most companies start with the roof and wonder why the building collapses. A PIP, in this context, is like trying to patch a leaky roof when the entire house is built on sand.

I have seen this play out countless times. A VP of Sales comes to me, frustrated. "Kayvon, I have a rep, Sarah. She is a great person, good attitude, but she just cannot hit quota. We have put her on a PIP, given her extra coaching, but nothing changes." My first question is always, "Did you assess her for role fit before she started?" The answer is almost always no. They hired based on resume, interview charisma, or a gut feeling. Then they wonder why my 3 Pillars of Sales DNA (Coachability, Drive, Resilience) were not present.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects sales employment to grow 4% from 2022 to 2032, adding about 145,900 jobs. That is a lot of potential hires, and a lot of potential mis-hires if you do not get the foundation right. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The Misguided Focus of Traditional PIPs

Let us break down what a typical PIP looks like. It usually involves:

1. Setting clear, measurable goals: Often activity based (calls, meetings) or outcome based (pipeline, closed deals).
2. Providing additional training or coaching: Remedial product knowledge, sales skills workshops.
3. Increased manager oversight: More 1:1s, call reviews, shadow sessions.
4. A timeline: Usually 30, 60, or 90 days, with clear consequences for not meeting targets.

On the surface, this seems logical. It is data driven, structured, and provides support. But here is the problem: it assumes the rep has the inherent capacity to meet these goals, and just needs a nudge or a knowledge injection. My experience tells me this is rarely the case for chronic underperformers.

I remember a client, a SaaS company in San Francisco. They had an SDR, Mark, who was consistently at 50% of his meeting set quota. His manager put him on a PIP: 100 dials a day, 20 personalized emails, 5 meetings booked a week. Mark worked harder. He stayed late. He was motivated. But his numbers barely budged. Why? Because Mark lacked the fundamental resilience to handle constant rejection. He took every "no" personally. No amount of training on objection handling was going to change his core wiring. He was a great guy, but he was in the wrong role. He eventually left, and the company wasted months of resources trying to fix something that was not broken, but misaligned.

Studies show that employee turnover due to poor hiring decisions can cost a company 30% of the employee's first year salary. (Source: SHRM) For a sales rep with a $70,000 OTE, that is $21,000 down the drain, not including lost revenue opportunities. My point is, the cost of a mis-hire is astronomical, and a PIP often just prolongs the bleed.

The Illusion of Training as a Cure-All

I have seen companies spend hundreds of thousands on sales training programs, only to see minimal improvement in performance. Why? Because training cannot install Sales DNA. It can refine skills, sure. It can teach new techniques. But it cannot instill Coachability if someone believes they already know everything. It cannot instill Drive if they are comfortable with mediocrity. And it certainly cannot instill Resilience if they crumble under pressure.

My 3 Pillars of Sales DNA are not skills; they are inherent traits. You can coach someone to be a better listener, but you cannot coach them to genuinely want to improve if they are not Coachable. You can teach someone how to prospect, but you cannot give them the burning Drive to consistently push through rejection if they do not have it. And you can give them scripts, but you cannot make them bounce back from a lost deal if they lack Resilience.

Many sales leaders confuse activity with productivity. They see a rep making calls and assume they are trying. But without the right Sales DNA, those calls are often ineffective. It is like giving a race car driver a manual on how to drive, when they do not even have the innate reflexes or competitive spirit to win. My approach is to assess for these core traits upfront, before the training dollars are spent and the PIPs are written.

My Revenue Architecture Model: The Foundation of Fit

Let us revisit my Revenue Architecture Model. Sales is not a department. It is an architecture. And the foundation, the most critical part, is people. Who you hire. This is where most companies fail, and it is why PIPs are often a band aid on a broken bone.

The Revenue Architecture Model:

When a rep is underperforming, the first place I look is the foundation. Is this person in the right role? Do they possess the fundamental Sales DNA required for this specific sales motion? If the answer is no, then no amount of process optimization or technology implementation will fix it. You are just building a fancier roof on a crumbling house.

I worked with a company that was struggling with high SDR turnover. They had invested heavily in a new sales engagement platform (technology) and a detailed outbound sequence (process). But their SDRs were still burning out. My assessment revealed that many of them lacked the Resilience to handle the constant rejection of cold outreach. They were great communicators, but not built for the grind. We shifted our hiring profile to prioritize Resilience, and turnover plummeted. The technology and process were fine; the people were the problem.

The 3 Pillars of Sales DNA: What Really Predicts Success

After assessing 12,000+ reps, I have distilled sales success down to three core traits: Coachability, Drive, and Resilience. Most assessments measure personality. I measure whether someone can actually sell. These three traits predict quota attainment better than any resume, interview, or gut feeling.

Coachability: The Openness to Improve

This is not just about listening. It is about actively seeking feedback, internalizing it, and implementing changes. A rep might nod their head during a coaching session, but a Coachable rep will actually alter their behavior and show measurable improvement. I have seen reps with years of experience who are uncoachable. They believe their way is the best way, even when it is clearly not working. This is a death sentence in a dynamic sales environment.

My assessment looks for a genuine desire to learn and grow, not just a willingness to be told what to do. It is about intellectual curiosity and humility. If a rep is not Coachable, any training or PIP is a waste of time. They will go through the motions, but their core approach will remain unchanged.

According to Objective Management Group, 75% of all salespeople have weaknesses that prevent them from performing at a higher level, but only 25% of those salespeople are coachable. (Source: Objective Management Group) This means 75% of reps with weaknesses are uncoachable. That is a huge problem.

Drive: The Internal Engine for Achievement

Drive is the relentless pursuit of goals. It is the internal fire that pushes a rep to make one more call, send one more email, or push for one more meeting, even when they are tired or discouraged. This is not something you can instill with a motivational speech. It is an intrinsic trait.

I have seen reps with all the right skills and product knowledge, but they lack the Drive to consistently execute. They hit their minimums, but they never push beyond. They are comfortable with "good enough." In sales, "good enough" is rarely good enough. My assessment identifies whether a rep has that innate hunger to win, to exceed expectations, and to constantly strive for more. Without it, a PIP that sets higher targets will only lead to frustration.

Gallup research consistently shows that engaged employees, those with high drive, are more productive and profitable. (Source: Gallup) This translates directly to sales performance. You cannot PIP someone into having more drive; you have to hire for it.

Resilience: The Ability to Bounce Back

Sales is a brutal profession. Rejection is constant. Deals fall through. Prospects go dark. A rep without Resilience will quickly burn out. They will take every "no" as a personal failure, leading to paralysis, procrastination, and eventually, quitting. Resilience is the ability to absorb those blows, learn from them, and keep moving forward with optimism.

I once had a rep, let us call her Jessica, who was incredibly talented at building rapport. She could get anyone to like her. But the moment a deal hit a snag, or a prospect ghosted her, she would shut down. She would spend days dwelling on it, unable to pick up the phone. We tried coaching her on managing emotions, on focusing on the next deal. But her core Resilience was low. She simply could not handle the emotional rollercoaster of sales. She eventually found success in a customer success role, where her relationship building skills thrived without the constant rejection. She was a great person, just in the wrong sales role.

The average sales cycle can be long and complex, with many opportunities for setbacks. A lack of resilience will cripple a rep's ability to navigate these challenges. (Source: Salesforce State of Sales Report)

When a PIP Becomes a Slow Firing: The Inevitable Outcome

So, what happens when you put a rep lacking one or more of these core Sales DNA traits on a PIP? It becomes a slow firing. Here is why:

1. False Hope: The rep genuinely tries, works harder, but lacks the fundamental wiring to succeed in that specific role. They invest emotional energy, only to fail again.
2. Wasted Resources: Your manager spends countless hours coaching, reviewing, and monitoring, taking time away from high performers. Training budgets are spent.
3. Morale Drain: Other reps see the struggle, the prolonged PIP, and it can affect team morale. It also sends a message that the company is willing to tolerate prolonged underperformance.
4. Delayed Decision: The inevitable decision to part ways is simply postponed, costing the company more money and lost revenue opportunity. The true cost of a bad hire can be up to 1.5 to 2 times their salary. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

I am not saying PIPs are never useful. For a rep who has temporarily dipped in performance due to external factors, or who has a specific, trainable skill gap, a PIP can be effective. But for the chronic underperformer, the one who consistently misses quota despite effort, the problem is almost always deeper than a lack of motivation or knowledge.

My philosophy is simple: if you hire right, you PIP less. My assessment process is designed to identify these core Sales DNA traits and match them to the specific demands of the role. An SDR needs different levels of Resilience than an Enterprise AE. A transactional rep needs different Drive than a complex solution seller. It is about fit.

The Alternative: Proactive Role Fit and Redeployment

Instead of reactive PIPs, I advocate for a proactive approach centered on role fit. This starts with hiring, but it extends to your existing team.

1. Define the Role DNA

Before you even think about hiring or PIPs, you need to clearly define the Sales DNA required for each specific role in your organization. What level of Coachability, Drive, and Resilience does an SDR need? How does that differ for an Account Manager vs. a New Business Hunter? My assessment helps you benchmark this.

For example, an SDR role often requires extremely high Resilience due to constant rejection. An Enterprise AE might need higher Coachability to adapt to complex client needs and a higher Drive for long sales cycles. Without this clarity, you are hiring blind and managing with guesswork.

2. Assess Existing Team Members

Do not just use assessments for new hires. Run your existing team through a robust Sales DNA assessment. This is not about finding reasons to fire people. It is about understanding your talent pool and identifying potential misalignments. You might discover a rep struggling as an AE actually has the perfect DNA for an SDR role, or vice versa.

I had a client with an AE who was consistently underperforming. He was a nice guy, everyone liked him, but his numbers were terrible. My assessment showed he had high Coachability and Resilience, but very low Drive for new business acquisition. He hated cold calling and prospecting. However, he had excellent relationship building skills. We moved him to an Account Management role focused on renewals and upsells within existing accounts. His performance skyrocketed. He was the right person, just in the wrong role. A PIP would have just led to his departure, and the company would have lost a valuable asset.

3. Redeploy, Don't Just Fire

If an assessment reveals a significant mismatch, consider redeployment before a PIP or termination. Can this rep thrive in a different sales role within your organization? Can they move to a customer success role, or even an internal support role where their strengths are better utilized?

This is a win-win. You retain talent, avoid the cost of hiring and training a replacement, and you boost employee morale by showing you invest in your people. It also demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of human capital, rather than a simplistic "perform or leave" mentality.

Companies with strong internal mobility programs see higher employee retention rates and improved performance. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

4. Targeted Coaching for True Skill Gaps

Once you have confirmed role fit and Sales DNA, then, and only then, should you focus on targeted coaching for specific skill gaps. If a rep has high Coachability, Drive, and Resilience, but struggles with a specific stage of the sales process, then a focused coaching plan can be incredibly effective. This is where my "structure" pillar of the Revenue Architecture Model comes into play – refining the process for people who are already fundamentally aligned.

This is not about generic sales training. It is about pinpointing the exact weakness and providing specific, actionable feedback. For example, if a rep is Coachable, has Drive, and Resilience, but struggles with discovery calls, then focused coaching on asking open ended questions, active listening, and identifying pain points will yield results. This is a very different scenario than trying to teach a rep without Drive to suddenly care about hitting targets.

The Cost of Mis-Hires and Failed PIPs

Let us talk about the numbers. The cost of a bad sales hire is astronomical. It is not just their salary. It is:

• Recruitment Costs: Job postings, recruiter fees, interview time.
• Onboarding & Training Costs: Manager time, training materials, lost productivity during ramp up.
• Lost Revenue Opportunity: The deals that were not closed, the pipeline that was not built. This is often the biggest cost.
• Impact on Team Morale: Underperformers can drag down the team, and managers spending excessive time on PIPs neglect top performers.

My experience shows that for a mid market AE with a $150,000 OTE, a bad hire can easily cost a company $300,000 to $500,000 in a year. (This is my internal experience, not a third party citation, but reflects my assessment of the market.) This is why I am so passionate about getting the hiring right from the start. A PIP is often just a delayed recognition of a hiring mistake.

I remember a client who hired an Enterprise AE without proper assessment. The rep had a fantastic resume from a big name company. But my assessment, which they did not use, would have shown low Drive and Resilience for a new logo hunter role. Six months in, he had zero pipeline. The VP put him on a PIP, hoping his "experience" would kick in. Another three months passed, still nothing. The company lost nine months of potential revenue in a critical territory. When they finally let him go, the cost was easily over half a million dollars. All because they prioritized a resume over Sales DNA and role fit.

Conclusion: Stop Patching, Start Building

Sales Performance Improvement Plans, as they are typically implemented, are often a symptom of a deeper problem: a flawed hiring strategy that prioritizes experience or personality over innate Sales DNA and role fit. My 101 sales teams and 12,000+ assessments have taught me this unequivocally.

Instead of trying to fix a broken foundation with a new coat of paint, focus on building your Revenue Architecture correctly from the ground up. Hire for Coachability, Drive, and Resilience. Assess your existing team for role fit. Redeploy talent where appropriate. And only then, apply targeted coaching for genuine skill gaps. This is how you build a high performing sales organization that scales, not one constantly bogged down by underperformance and the slow, painful process of PIPs.

My mission is to help companies stop the cycle of bad hires and failed PIPs. I believe in building sales teams that are inherently wired for success, teams where every rep is in the right role, doing what they are naturally best at. That is how you drive sustainable revenue growth.

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