The other week I was talking with a VP of Sales who told me most SMB sales roles will be replaced by AI and a CSM within 6 months. Maybe his timeline is fast, but we can all agree the direction is inevitable. Microsoft already cut 9,000 salespeople.

A Rainmaker I know with nine President’s Clubs under his belt said, “The next 6 months are the time to get as far ahead as you can in this profession for the next decade.” Six months again. Coincidence?

One story I heard speaks to exactly the people I want to reach. A rep coming up on his first year at HubSpot, and instead of celebrating he was staring at 75 percent of quota. Everyone around him was getting promoted while he was barely keeping his job. For him, 85 percent of quota was a “great month.” That is the quiet tragedy playing out for so many reps. What’s the difference between this Rep and the one who’s relieved at 85% of quota?

He took a sales evaluation. For the first time he could see exactly what was holding him back. Not fluffy feedback. Not pipeline guesses. Actual data. For example, everyone says “I need to get better at qualification.” How many know qualification alone is broken into 15 traits you need to master?

It was not easy. It was uncomfortable. But it gave him a roadmap. Within 90 days he went from horrible to good. By 120 days he was promoted. His average months jumped to 105 percent of quota and his best months hit 150 percent. He said, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

You can keep guessing. You can keep trying to improve. But the closest you will ever get to the truth is taking an evaluation that shows you exactly where you stand, benchmarked against 2 million salespeople, broken down into all 21 core competencies and the traits you need to excel at.

Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. In my opinion, this is the fastest way good reps become professionals. And only then can you take on the journey to become a Rainmaker. You either get better or worse. 

So, a Q4 to remember or just another quarter? Tell Rick I sent you.