What quota attainment measures
Quota attainment is booked revenue (or ARR/ACV) divided by a target quota for a period. It's a fast read of whether you're on track, but it needs context because deal timing is lumpy.
Core formulas
- Attainment = booked / quota.
- Pacing (simple) ~ (booked / days elapsed) * days in period.
- On-track to date = quota * (days elapsed / days in period).
- Required per day = (quota - booked) / remaining days.
- Pace delta = required per day - current daily pace.
Pacing guardrails (keep forecasts honest)
- Compare current daily pace to required daily pace to hit quota.
- Track booked vs on-track to date to see if you are ahead or behind plan.
- Separate early-stage pipeline from late-stage pipeline to avoid false comfort.
How to use pacing (without fooling yourself)
- Compare pacing to historical seasonality (many teams close late).
- Pair with pipeline coverage and win rate to forecast probability of hitting quota.
- Review opportunity cohorts by expected close date for a time-bound view.
Quota attainment QA checklist
- Use the same booked definition across periods (bookings vs ARR vs ACV).
- Track attainment by segment to avoid blended averages.
- Reconcile booked totals with CRM close dates for the period.
- Validate business-day vs calendar-day pacing and stay consistent.
Benchmarks and context
- Many teams close late in the period; compare pacing to prior periods.
- Enterprise motions are lumpier; expect higher variance in attainment.
- Use rolling averages for forecast stability.
Common mistakes
- Mixing time units (annual quota with monthly booked).
- Using inconsistent definitions of booked revenue (bookings vs ARR vs ACV).
- Overreacting to early-period pacing without pipeline context.