%20(1).png)
Sales performance improvement plan
Put in how a rep is performing against what is expected. The builder finds where the gap really is, suggests objectives and support that target it, dates every review, and turns it into a clear, fair plan you can share.
-
A breakdown of where the shortfall comes from, for AEs and SDRs
-
A check on whether the problem is the rep or the system
-
Objectives, support, review dates and a UK fair-process checklist
How to use it
-
Choose the role, plan length, check-in frequency and stage.
-
Enter the rep's last three months against the expected standard, and the team's average.
-
Review the suggested objectives and support, and edit them to fit.
-
Share the plan before the first meeting, and tick off the fair-process checklist as you go.
How the numbers work
Monthly output is the product of each lever. For an AE: first meetings, times the rate they become qualified opportunities, times win rate, times average deal size. For an SDR: calls and emails, times conversation rate, times booking rate, times show rate. Each lever's share of the shortfall comes from how far below expected it is.
Midpoint targets sit halfway between current and expected performance; final targets are the expected standard. This is a planning aid, not legal or HR advice: follow your own capability policy and take advice before any formal stage.
Questions
What is a performance improvement plan?
A performance improvement plan, or PIP, sets out where someone is falling short, what good looks like, the support they will get and when progress will be reviewed. It can be an informal support plan or part of a formal capability process.
How long should a PIP last for a salesperson?
Long enough for the measures to move. Activity can change within weeks, but deals depend on the sales cycle, so sales PIPs often run six to twelve weeks and pair results with leading indicators such as meetings and pipeline.
Does the Acas Code of Practice apply to poor performance?
Yes. The Acas Code on disciplinary and grievance procedures covers poor performance. It sets out establishing the facts, informing the employee in writing, holding a meeting, allowing them to be accompanied, deciding on action and offering an appeal.
What is changing with unfair dismissal in 2027?
From 1 January 2027, employees can claim ordinary unfair dismissal after six months of service instead of two years, and the cap on compensation is being removed. It makes a fair, well-documented process more important for every employee.
Is a PIP the same as a warning?
Not necessarily. An informal plan is supportive and is not a warning. A formal plan usually follows a capability meeting and sits alongside a first or final written warning, with the right to be accompanied and to appeal.
More free sales tools
-
30-60-90 Ramp Plan: A dated onboarding plan for a new AE or SDR, with goals, milestones and reviews.
-
SDR Capacity Planner: What one SDR really produces in a month, and whether the activity target fits in a day.
-
Cost of a Sales Hire: The fully loaded cost of an AE, when they pay back, and what a mis-hire costs.
Is it the rep, or the system?
Often the fix is lead flow, territory, quota or process rather than the person. We help sales leaders work out which, set fair standards from real data and build the coaching rhythm around them.