How to use the sales quota attainment calculator
Attainment on its own cannot tell you whether the quota is still reachable. Being at 50% halfway through a quarter and being at 50% with four fifths of the quarter gone are entirely different situations. This calculator puts attainment next to how much of the period has actually elapsed, so the number carries the context it needs.
The core figure is sales to date divided by quota, shown alongside the variance to quota. Variance is sales minus quota, so it is positive when you are over and negative when you are short. In a shortfall it is paired with the amount still needed, stated as a positive dollar figure that is easier to act on.
Fill in the selling days in the period and the days elapsed and three more lines appear: period progress, pace against the calendar, and the selling days left. If you are behind, the calculator also works out how much has to close per remaining day, which turns an abstract gap into a weekly plan. Both day fields must be filled together; supplying only one returns a message.
Frequently asked questions
At 100% the bookings have kept exactly in step with the time elapsed. Above 100% means you are ahead of schedule and below means behind, and the label says which of the two applies.
Variance is sales to date minus quota, so it reads positive when you are over and negative when you are short. When you are short, an extra line shows the amount still needed as a positive figure.