The Sales Director Quota Trap

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If your Sales Director carries a full quota, you don’t have a coach.

You have another rep. Period.

Many SaaS companies, especially during fast growth, fall into this trap. You want leaders who can sell. But when they’re expected to carry a heavy personal quota and have a comp plan that mirrors your AEs, you’ve set them, and the team, up to fail.

The "player-coach" model looks efficient on paper. But when the "player" side pays the bills, the "coach" side disappears.

Why It Goes Sideways: The Comp Plan Conflict

It usually starts with compensation. If your Director has the same quota pressure as an AE and earns the same commission for closing their own deals, what happens?

Exactly what you’d expect.

Comp plans drive behavior.

They’ll focus on their own deals because that’s how they get paid and measured. It’s not about bad intent. It’s a rational response to a flawed setup.

The Fallout: When Your Director Becomes Just Another Rep

This structure creates a chain reaction of problems:

They chase their own pipeline. Time goes into prospecting, demos, and closing. Not coaching.

Coaching disappears. Real coaching takes time. When quota pressure is high, coaching is the first thing to go.

One-on-ones turn into pipeline check-ins. No skill-building. Just “What’s closing?” and “Where are you at?”

AEs feel like they’re competing with their boss. It creates resentment and confusion about priorities.

Perception of cherry-picking creeps in. Even if your Director plays fair, the team may assume they’re taking the best leads. And perception drives trust.

Morale drops. No coaching and perceived unfairness are a deadly combo. Good reps check out.

Team pipeline suffers. If reps aren’t getting better, deals stall. You start relying on a few stars, usually including the Director.

Top reps leave. High performers want growth. If they don’t trust their leader or see a path forward, they’ll move on. And attrition costs more than just money.

Can the Player-Coach Model Work?

Maybe. But only if coaching comes first.

If you’re going to try it:

• Keep their quota minimal. Enough to stay sharp, not enough to be a distraction.
• Pay them for team success. Think overrides, team bonuses, and MBOs tied to development.
• Block time for coaching. Track it. Expect it. Make it a priority.

Selling Isn’t Leading

Being a top rep doesn’t mean someone knows how to lead. Selling is an individual sport. Leadership is about helping everyone else win.

Leaders build people. They set direction. They drive culture and accountability.

If you promote a star AE, don’t assume they’ll be a great manager. Equip them.

How to Fix It

If this is your setup, change it now:

• Define the Director’s job clearly. Their job is to build a high-performing team and help them hit their number.
• Rethink the quota. Reduce it or remove it if it gets in the way.
• Adjust the comp plan. Reward team performance, development, and retention.
• Invest in leadership training. Coaching is a skill. Don’t expect them to figure it out.
• Build a coaching culture. From the top down, make it clear that development is the priority.

The Bottom Line

Your Sales Director is too valuable to be just another rep with a bigger title.

If they’re stuck chasing a personal number because of a broken comp plan, they’re not building your sales org.

Set them up to coach, lead, and develop talent. That’s how you scale. That’s how you keep your best people. And that’s how your entire sales team starts to win.

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