How to set quota for a new rep
A new rep cannot produce like a tenured one on day one, so holding them to a full quota is both unfair and useless for planning. The right approach is a ramp schedule: a prorated quota that scales up over the time it genuinely takes to become productive in your motion.
Short answer
Set quota for a new rep by prorating a full quota against a ramp schedule that reflects your sales cycle: near zero in the first month or two, scaling up over the ramp period to full quota once they are productive. Judge their attainment against the ramped target, not the full number, and provide ramp pipeline support.
Step by step
Determine your ramp period
Base ramp length on your sales cycle. A rep cannot close in month one if the cycle is three months, so ramp must exceed the cycle.
Build a ramping quota schedule
Scale the quota up over the ramp: minimal early, increasing monthly, reaching full quota when productivity is expected.
- Month 1-2: near zero, focused on learning and pipeline
- Middle months: partial quota as first deals close
- End of ramp: full quota
Support with ramp pipeline
Seed new reps with some pipeline or accounts so they can close during ramp rather than starting from a cold zero.
Measure against the ramped target
Judge attainment versus the prorated quota, not the full one, so ramp performance is fair and comparable.
Track ramp-to-productivity
Measure how long reps actually take to reach full productivity and refine the ramp schedule and hiring plan accordingly.
How Ardovo helps
Ardovo prorates quota against a ramp schedule automatically and tracks each new rep's ramp-to-productivity, so Rook can tell you whether a hire is ramping on pace and feed real ramp time back into your capacity and headcount plans.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a sales rep ramp be?
Longer than your sales cycle, because a rep cannot close deals faster than the cycle allows. Ramp periods commonly run three to nine months depending on deal complexity. Enterprise reps ramp longer than transactional ones. Base it on your actual time-to-first-close data.
Should a new rep have a quota in month one?
A minimal or near-zero one. The early months should focus on learning the product, building pipeline, and starting deals that cannot close yet. Ramp the quota up as their pipeline matures, reaching full quota only when they are genuinely productive.
How do I know if a new rep is ramping well?
Track their attainment against the ramped quota and their pipeline generation, not just closed deals. A rep building healthy qualified pipeline on schedule is ramping well even before deals close. Compare their curve to your average ramp-to-productivity time.