What is quota attainment?
Quota attainment is the share of quota a seller or team delivered in a period, expressed as a percentage. A seller with a $1 million quota who books $900,000 is at 90%. It is the most common single measure of seller performance, and in most comp plans it decides how much variable pay a seller earns.
Why it matters to a revenue leader
Attainment is the number sellers, managers and sponsors all watch, so it shapes behavior. It is also easy to misread. Low attainment across a team can mean weak sellers, or quotas set above what the territories can produce. In a 2021 WorldatWork and SalesGlobe survey, companies reported that on average 47.3% of their sales teams finished at or above quota in 2020. A team where most sellers miss is common, and it calls for a hard look at the quotas as well as the people. Doug Chung's research adds a warning: raising quotas after a strong year dampens motivation.
How to calculate it
Quota attainment = results credited in the period ÷ quota for the period × 100.
Common mistake: comparing sellers whose quotas were built on different bases, such as a new hire on a ramp quota and a tenured seller on a full one.
Example
Fictitious numbersA fire and life safety company has 10 sellers with $800,000 annual quotas. Team bookings total $7.2 million, so team attainment is 90%. Four sellers finished above 100% and six below, which tells the VP more than the team average does.
"What share of our sellers hit quota last year, and what does that say about our quotas?"
Sources
- 2021 Sales Compensation Programs and Practices checked 9 Oct 2026
- How to Really Motivate Salespeople checked 9 Oct 2026