How To Diagnose One Sales Rep's Outbound Performance

When reviewing one rep's outbound, compare lists, messages, replies and results over a suitable period. Check differences in territory, lead source and offer before attributing results to the rep.

Compare Against A Baseline

Pull the same numbers for the rep and for a comparable one: emails sent, bounces, replies, positive replies and meetings booked. Look at ratios, not totals.

Check The Lists

Review a sample of the rep's contacts. Are the companies and roles right? Are there duplicates or stale titles? Poor lists drag down every later number.

Read The Sequences

Read the rep's actual messages. Look for vague openings, long paragraphs, several asks in one email and no reason to reply now. A hypothetical example: a rep whose emails all begin with a company introduction before naming the prospect's problem.

Look At The Replies

Read the replies the rep received and how they were handled. Check response times and whether each interested reply received an agreed next step.

Pick A Few Fixes

Choose the changes likely to matter most, such as list criteria, first lines or response time. Record each change and use a controlled test when you can. Several simultaneous changes make it harder to tell which mattered.

Recheck After A Suitable Period

Compare the same ratios after enough relevant activity to assess them. Record changes in audience, offer and volume alongside the results; before-and-after rates alone do not establish cause.

If You Want A Written Report

The Rep Report does this review for one rep: sequences, lists, replies and numbers, written up as a report with five proposed fixes. Prepare only the rep data you're authorized to share, and agree a secure way to provide it.