Hello and welcome to The Modern GTM Executive by Lunar Executive Search - read by 2,000+ leading Sales, Marketing, and Executive Leaders within Growth-Stage Technology businesses. We’re here to help people redefine their perspective on modern revenue acquisition models, understand what talent & skills are necessary to do so, and how to find the to 10% of GTM Leaders to execute.

To help readers stay grounded in the reality of today’s GTM hiring landscape, I’ll be sharing a weekly snapshot of active sales roles on LinkedIn. These metrics offer a simple but powerful pulse check: where demand is rising, where it’s cooling, and how the broader software market is shifting beneath the surface.

To help you stay sharper and more informed, I’m adding this new weekly snapshot of the three GTM stories that matter most. No fluff - just the signals every sales leader should track.

Quota Attainment Is Broken

For years, quota attainment has been treated as a proxy for talent.

Hit quota? You’re a star.
Miss quota? You’re the problem.

But the data tells a very different story.

After analyzing the 50 highest-performing venture-backed SaaS sales teams in the world, one thing became clear: most sellers are failing quotas that were never designed to be hit.

The Reality Check

Across the Top 50 sales organizations globally:

• Average quota attainment is ~80%

• Even elite, best-in-class teams are not running at 100%

• Only the top quartile consistently clears 90%

In other words:
If your team is averaging 60–70%, that doesn’t automatically mean you have a talent problem. It may mean you have a quota design problem.

What Actually Drives Attainment

The teams outperforming benchmarks don’t rely on heroic sellers. They rely on structure:

• Lean sales teams (median: 9 AEs)

• Internal BDR/SDR support

• Dedicated RevOps

• Formal enablement programs

Companies with 3–4 support functions outperform those without by 8–12% in quota attainment — with shorter ramp times to boot

Why Sellers Are Burning Out

We’ve normalized a system where:

• Quotas assume perfect territories

• Pipeline assumes flawless handoffs

• Ramp assumes instant productivity

• Misses are blamed on reps

Meanwhile, companies with higher Glassdoor ratings outperform peers by ~30% in attainment, suggesting seller experience and quota realism are deeply linked

The Takeaway for GTM Leaders

If your sellers are missing quota, ask these questions before changing headcount:

• Is quota calibrated to real pipeline math?

• Do reps have enough support to focus on closing?

• Is enablement compressing ramp — or extending it?

• Would your best reps join your team today?

Quota attainment isn’t broken because sellers got worse.
It’s broken because expectations drifted faster than reality.

If you want the full breakdown — including team design, enablement impact, and what “great” actually looks like in 2025 — the data is in the report.

We've got a number of active opportunities across our portfolio of software clients at Lunar Executive Search currently.

A few select openings: 

• VP of Sales – VC Backed – Enterprise SaaS (US Remote)

• Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise SaaS (NY, NJ, TX)

• Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Cyber (US Remote)

• (New) Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - InsureTech (NYC Hybrid)

• (New) Enterprise Account Manager - Private - IT Services (US Remote)

• Account Executive - PE Backed - HealthTech (US Remote)

I'm also always look to great candidates for future roles:

• Chief Revenue Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

• Chief Marketing Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

• VP of Product Marketing - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

• VP of Partnerships - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

Highlights from The GTM Kickback! Podcast

We've had a number of excellent interviews recently on The GTM Kickback!, with many more already booked and recorded on the way. 

Want to be a guest? Ping me on LinkedIn! 😎

We're looking for: High-performance GTM Operators, VC/PE Investors in SaaS, and Leading GTM Consultants for early stage technology businesses

New to "The GTM Kickback!"? Subscribe to the podcast!

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This newsletter is powered by Lunar Executive Search - Finding Premier GTM Talent for Growth Stage Tech Businesses. 

We help disruptive technology companies grow. For venture-funded start-ups and PE-backed enterprise software firms, we have a track record in finding the Top 10% of Sales and Marketing Leadership Talent, and doing so swiftly. 

Reach out to me here: [email protected] 

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Till next time, 

Joey