Should You Fire That Sales Rep? A Gut Check for Founders

If you're a B2B SaaS founder, you’ve either faced this dilemma—or you will.

You’ve hired a salesperson. They’re a good person. You want them to succeed. But deep down, that nagging question persists:

“Should I let them go?”

This isn’t just a tough call; it’s mission-critical. The decision to keep or fire an underperforming salesperson has ripple effects across your company—on revenue, morale, and momentum. So let’s break it down.

The Silent Killer: The Cost of Waiting Too Long

Founders often delay the inevitable because:

“I really like them.”
“They’re trying hard.”
“I’m hopeful they’ll figure it out soon.”

But here’s the brutal reality: keeping the wrong person too long doesn’t just hurt your numbers—it quietly poisons your culture.

When one rep isn’t pulling their weight:

Others quietly pick up the slack (until they stop).
Your top performers lose faith in your standards.
Accountability vanishes, and mediocrity metastasizes.

The longer you wait, the more expensive the damage becomes.

The Trap Door: Firing Too Soon Has Consequences Too

Before you make the call to cut someone loose, ask yourself the hard questions:

• Have they received real onboarding and coaching—or were they thrown into the deep end?
• Have they had enough time to ramp based on your deal cycle?
• Is your product truly ready for GTM, or are they fighting an uphill battle?

Firing too soon might mean losing a future top performer.

I spoke with a founder who let someone go after three months. Six months later, that same rep was dominating at their biggest competitor—taking deals and market share with them.

It happens more than you think.

The Smart System: What’s the Right Answer?

There’s no magic formula—but there is a smart system. Here’s where to start:

Fix Your Hiring Process
Start at the source. If you're not consistently hiring A+ talent, this question will keep coming up.
Do you have a structured interview process?
Are you hiring based on actual sales competencies, not just resume charm?
Are you screening for how they sell, not just what they’ve sold?

Level Up Your Onboarding and Coaching
Even great reps will struggle in a weak system.
Do you have a clear ramp plan?
Are they getting weekly coaching, not just deal reviews?
Have they shadowed top reps or been through objection-handling drills?

You can’t hold reps accountable for results they weren’t trained to deliver.

Run a Sales Team Audit
This is the big one.

You need to know:
Who’s truly performing—and who’s coasting?
Are your expectations clear and realistic?
What blockers are systemic vs. individual?

If this kind of audit isn’t your strength, bring in an expert. Don’t guess your way through a $500K mistake.

The Bottom Line

Don’t fire too slow. Don’t fire too fast.

Build a system that makes the right call obvious. And if your gut is telling you something’s off—don’t ignore it.

Get the data, ask the hard questions, and take action.

Because your team is watching. And your company’s future depends on it.

By Travis Janko, CEO of GSD Coach & Recruiting, helping SaaS founders build the top 5% of talent, FAST!