Definition
Quota-carrying reps are salespeople with assigned revenue targets. They are the core capacity unit for forecasting.
Example
If you have 8 fully ramped AEs with $500k quarterly quotas, total capacity is about $4M.
How to use it
- Count only fully ramped reps when modeling near-term capacity.
- Track attainment distribution, not just averages.
- Separate new-hire ramp cohorts from tenured reps in forecasts.
- Use quota-carrying headcount to size pipeline coverage targets.
Common mistakes
- Including SDRs or non-quota roles in capacity models.
- Assuming 100% attainment across all reps.
- Ignoring ramp time when hiring to close a coverage gap.
- Mixing part-time and full-time reps without adjusting capacity.
Why this matters
This term matters because small changes compound in SaaS metrics. Use consistent definitions by cohort and segment so you can diagnose retention, payback, and growth quality.
Practical checklist
- Write a 1-line definition for "Quota-carrying Reps" that your team will use consistently.
- Keep the time window consistent (weekly/monthly/quarterly) when comparing trends.
- Segment results (channel/plan/cohort) before drawing big conclusions from blended averages.
- Sanity-check with a related calculator from the same category on MetricKit.
- Read the related guide (e.g., Sales ops metrics hub: quota, pipeline, win rate, and capacity planning) for context and common pitfalls.
Where to use this on MetricKit
Calculators
- Pipeline Coverage Calculator: Compute pipeline coverage ratio and expected bookings from pipeline and win rate.
- Required Pipeline Calculator: Estimate how much pipeline (and how many opportunities) you need to hit a revenue target given win rate and average deal size.
- Sales Capacity Calculator (with Ramp): Estimate period bookings capacity from team size, quota per rep, expected attainment, and ramped vs ramping mix.
- OTE & Commission Rate Calculator: Compute on-target earnings (OTE), commission rate, and compensation split from base salary, variable pay, and quota.
- Sales Funnel Targets Calculator: Translate a revenue target into required wins, opportunities, SQLs, MQLs, and leads using funnel conversion rates.
Guides
- Sales ops metrics hub: quota, pipeline, win rate, and capacity planning: A practical hub for sales ops planning: quota attainment, pipeline coverage, required pipeline, sales capacity with ramp, and OTE math.