Closing Sales Deals in 2023: Sales Rep Performance, Discounting Controls, and Deal Governance

The article analyzes declining software company growth rates (6 consecutive quarters of YoY deceleration) and its impact on sales rep quota attainment, particularly among mid-size companies that over-hired during the 2021 boom. It provides a framework for identifying high-performing reps, managing sales discounting, and implementing deal approval matrices to prevent value-destructive sales practices driven by compensation misalignment and business pressure.