Two axes, four quadrants
Plot each rep on two numbers from last week: activities per day on the vertical axis (dials, emails, LinkedIn touches) and meetings booked per day on the horizontal axis (how much of that activity converts). Where a rep lands points to the coaching move before the 1:1. If a rep’s week is incomplete (ramp, PTO, a system outage), note it and wait for a full week before placing them.
| Activities / day by meetings / day | Low conversion | High conversion |
|---|---|---|
| High activity | High activity, low conversion | On target |
| Low activity | Below target | Low activity, high conversion |
Four quadrants, four coaching moves
| Quadrant, and what it looks like | The coaching move |
|---|---|
| Shadow three calls and fix one thing (opening, discovery, or objection handling) before adding more volume. Check that the activity is aimed at accounts that can realistically convert. | |
| Protect the rhythm and write down what this rep does so others can learn it; consider having them peer-train. Avoid over-coaching a rep who is already converting. | |
| Run two weeks of targeted coaching with clear milestones. If the activity numbers don’t move within 3–5 days, treat it as a signal this may not be the right role. | |
| Audit the day for over-research, admin, and calendar protection, and rebuild the call blocks. If the cause is complacency, show the rep the pipeline shrinking. A rep who stays here can hold the role, but won’t be among the top producers. |
Early on, conversion follows volume, not the other way around.
The loop reps tend to move through
Most new SDRs start in the low-activity, low-conversion quadrant and climb out by raising volume before their conversion improves. After a stretch on target, a common failure mode is slowing down once pipeline feels full: activity drops and the rep moves into low activity, high conversion. When pipeline thins, they return to the start. The walkthrough below is a hypothetical illustration; step through the five stages.
The starting line
Four new SDRs start the quarter with low activity and low conversion, so all four sit in the low-activity, low-conversion quadrant. The instinct is to run pitch training; hold off, because there aren’t enough calls yet to know what to fix.
Volume comes first
Conversion improves after volume, not before. Jordan, Alex, and Maya commit to the activity floor and climb the vertical axis. Taylor doesn’t reach the floor and is let go: the two numbers made the decision straightforward.
Reps build skill
More calls build pattern recognition: sharper openers, tighter discovery, better demos. Maya and Alex move into high activity, high conversion. Jordan is close but still under one meeting a day: strong activity, conversion just short.
Activity drops as pipeline fills
Maya holds her numbers. Alex, with a full pipeline, starts protecting his calendar: fewer dials, longer email threads, more low-value “strategy” work. Conversion holds for a few weeks, but activity falls and Alex moves into low activity, high conversion.
The cycle resets
Pipeline thins and Alex returns to low activity, low conversion alongside three new hires. Maya shows the on-target quadrant is sustainable; Jordan shows what stopping just short looks like. The cycle begins again, and the manager plans for it rather than being surprised by it.
Hypothetical positions at each stage, as activities per day / meetings per day:
| Rep | Stage 01 | Stage 02 | Stage 03 | Stage 04 | Stage 05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | 60 / 0.8 | 85 / 0.9 | 85 / 1.3 | 60 / 1.3 | 60 / 0.6 |
| Maya | 70 / 0.4 | 100 / 0.6 | 90 / 1.5 | 90 / 1.5 | 90 / 1.5 |
| Jordan | 65 / 0.5 | 90 / 0.5 | 90 / 0.8 | 90 / 0.8 | 90 / 0.8 |
| Taylor | 50 / 0.6 | Let go | |||
| Priya (new) | 50 / 0.4 | ||||
| Marcus (new) | 50 / 0.2 | ||||
| Elena (new) | 60 / 0.2 |
Planning for the loop
The quadrant shows where a rep is now; the cycle shows the move that tends to come next. Reps rarely reach the on-target quadrant and stay there: they move in, slide out, and need to be brought back. Plan for that rather than treating a single strong week as the finish.
Start: low activity, low conversion
Most new reps land here. The instinct is to run pitch training. Hold off: without enough calls, there isn’t enough signal yet to know what to fix.
Raise volume first
Conversion improves after volume here, not before. Set an activity floor; reps who can’t or won’t hit it tend to self-select out by around week six.
Volume builds skill
With more calls, pattern recognition builds (better targeting, sharper openers, tighter discovery), usually around week eight. Conversion rises and the rep moves into high activity, high conversion.
Activity drops as pipeline fills
Once pipeline feels full, activity often drops: the calendar gets protected, emails get longer, low-value “strategy” work creeps in. Conversion can hold for a few weeks, then pipeline thins and the loop resets.
The takeaway. Raise activity first, then coach the craft that lifts conversion.