Understanding Sales Metrics & Scorecard

Follow this guide to understand the scorecard, estimate your own month-end pace, and know what happens to your numbers when quotas change.

View the presentation: Sales Classroom - Understanding Sales Metrics & Scorecard (Slides)

What You'll Need Before You Start

1. Access to the Sales Scorecard. You'll be reading your MTD/YTD targets, Net Sales, Weighted Net Pipeline, and the Seasonality Metric row.

2. Today's "% through month." The share of the month that has passed (e.g., the 15th of a 30-day month = 50%).

3. Your current quota. Confirm your current annual and quarterly target, especially after any team or role changes.

1. Core Metric Definitions

Metric	What It Means
Net Sales	Closed, actual booked revenue.
Weighted Net Pipeline	Open opportunities, weighted based on their current deal stage.
Net Potential for Year	The full-year projection: Net Sales YTD + Pipeline through end of year.
MTD / YTD Target	Budget target prorated to today, updated daily. Formula: Monthly Budget × % Through Month.
% Achieved	Actual Net Sales ÷ MTD (or YTD) Target.
Pipeline Coverage	How much pipeline you hold relative to the target for an upcoming period (e.g., next quarter or year-end).

Note: The light grey cells for Net Sales and Weighted Net Pipeline are updated manually every day by the sales leadership team. If a number looks off, reach out to your Sales Lead.

2. Understanding "% Achieved" (Know Your Denominator)

"% Achieved" only means something when you know what it's measured against. Because the MTD/YTD Target is prorated to today, the denominator grows every day of the month. Early in the month, one large order can push % Achieved very high. Later in the month, the same sales total produces a lower percentage.

The denominator also changes when quotas change. Your Net Sales can stay exactly the same while your % Achieved drops, simply because your target got bigger.

3. Why Monthly Targets Differ: The Seasonality Metric

Monthly targets are not split evenly across the year. They're set using the Seasonality Metric row on the scorecard, which reflects expected volume for each month.

Example — August Peak: August runs high because of volleyball and fall program launches, so August's target is adjusted up to reflect that volume.

4. Color Threshold Flags

The scorecard color-codes performance. Two flags are meant to prompt a conversation:

Flag	Meaning
199.5%+	Far over budget. Worth reviewing whether the target, timing, or a single large deal is driving the number.
Under 80%	Far under budget. Time to look at pipeline and a plan to close the gap.

5. Estimating Your Expected Month-End Pace

Calculate your MTD Target. Multiply your full monthly budget by today's % through the month.
Sum Booked + Pipeline. Add your Booked Net Sales to a realistic share of your Weighted Net Pipeline: the portion you actually expect to close this month.
Evaluate your pace. Compare that combined total to your MTD Target to see where you're likely to land at month-end.

Tip: Be honest about how much pipeline you count. Weighted pipeline is already discounted by stage, but not every deal will close inside the month.

6. Reading Performance: Attainment vs. Pipeline Coverage

Pipeline coverage leads; attainment lags. Attainment (MTD/YTD) tells you how you've done. Pipeline coverage tells you how you're likely to do. Always review MTD, YTD, pipeline coverage, and Net Potential together.

Pattern	What It Tells You
High attainment + low pipeline coverage	Strong right now, but the next quarter may be at risk. Focus on building pipeline.
On-pace attainment + high pipeline coverage	Healthy and well positioned for upcoming quarters.
Strong month, weaker YTD, low near-term but solid year-end pipeline	A "lumpy" or ramping pattern. Results arrive in bursts, so watch timing closely.

7. When Quotas Are Reallocated

Quotas can shift when the organization changes, for example when a rep moves into a role without a quota and their target is redistributed to the rest of the team.

The team total doesn't change. The overall target and the team's overall attainment stay the same.
Individual denominators do change. Each rep who picks up part of the redistributed quota now has a larger target.
Individual % Achieved will drop even though actual sales haven't moved. This is a math change, not a performance change.

Key Takeaway: After any reallocation, make sure you know your new quota and your updated quarterly target, not just your scorecard color.

Best Practices

Always ask "% of what?" before reacting to a % Achieved number.
Look at pipeline coverage alongside attainment. A great month with thin pipeline is a warning sign.
Separate team health from individual metrics when reviewing the scorecard.
When org structures change, expect quotas to change too, and understand the math behind your new number.
Know your actual quarterly target number, not just your scorecard color.