The 20/60/20 model reveals a harsh truth: while top reps are praised and bottom reps are problem-solved, the majority, the middle 60%, often operate in a gray zone. They’re reliable, but not exceptional. Capable, but underleveraged. And they’re not getting the strategic attention they need to evolve.
This group isn’t coasting because they’re lazy. They’re coasting because they haven’t been shown a clear, structured path to step up. The difference between average and exceptional performance isn’t a gap in effort, it’s a gap in coaching.
The Growth You’re Looking for Is Sitting in the Middle
Most CMOs and CROs, under pressure to hit targets, swing between reacting to the lowest performers and rewarding the best. But focusing only on the outer edges of your sales team is like watering a plant and ignoring the soil.
The middle 60% already understand your product. They already book meetings. They already close, but they just don’t close enough, and that’s where the opportunity lies.
When we work with clients to unlock growth here, we focus on visibility, momentum, and enablement:
- Make performance gaps visible without shame. Show them what great looks like in specific, coachable terms.
- Build coaching rhythms tied to micro-improvements. Speed of follow-up. Call prep. Proposal delivery.
- Create fast feedback loops so small wins feel like big steps.
- Eliminate blockers that slow them down, clunky systems, unclear pitch decks, or misaligned messaging.
You don’t need a transformation. You need traction. And the middle 60% will give it to you, if you give them a reason.
This Isn’t About Potential. It’s About Process
Too often, teams focus on replacing underperformers or over-celebrating top reps. But the highest return often comes from adding structure where there's already momentum. We've seen growth happen when the middle 60% is given clarity, coaching, and consistency.
Rather than overhaul headcount or create a whole new system, we focus on small operational shifts:
- Identifying patterns in performance that point to repeatable strengths
- Providing timely feedback on specific behaviors (not just outcomes)
- Highlighting real-time progress in internal conversations and team meetings
These aren't dramatic interventions, but they drive measurable changes. Not because the middle 60% lacked potential. But because they finally had a process to follow.
If You Want Predictable Revenue, Build It From the Middle
You don’t need more headcount and you don’t need another comp plan. You need to unlock the reps you already have.
That growth goal you're chasing? It’s not sitting in your superstar’s next big close. It’s buried in the daily behavior of the middle 60%. And it's time to start digging.
If you're ready to turn your team’s middle 60% into your next top performers, we can help you build the framework, coaching rhythm, and visibility tools to get there. Reach out and let’s start mapping the opportunity already sitting inside your pipeline. Contact us today to learn how.
