Performance Improvement Plan for Sales Reps: 30-60-90 Template

A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) serves two purposes: give the rep a real path to recovery, and document the process in case you need to terminate. Done wrong, it is busywork that produces nothing. Done right, it saves 40 percent of marginal reps and makes terminating the rest clean.

When to Issue a PIP

Three triggers:

1. Missed quota 2 consecutive months (post-ramp)
2. Activity metrics below threshold for 30 days (doors knocked, inspections run)
3. Quality complaints from 3+ customers in 90 days

Do not PIP for attitude. "He''s a bad fit" is not PIP-able. Specific behaviors are.

PIP Structure: 30/60/90

Day 0: PIP Meeting

45-minute meeting, sales manager and rep, HR or second manager as witness. Hand over written PIP document. Walk through line by line. Rep signs acknowledgment.

PIP document includes:

• Specific performance deficiencies (with numbers)
• Required improvements (with numbers)
• Timeline (30, 60, 90 day checkpoints)
• Coaching schedule (weekly 1:1s)
• Resources provided (mentor, extra training, territory adjustment)
• Consequences of non-improvement (termination)

Days 1 to 30: Ramp Back Up

• Weekly 1:1 with sales manager (45 minutes)
• Assigned mentor for ride-alongs 1 day per week
• Daily activity metrics reviewed
• Manager approves daily territory plan

Target metrics by day 30:

MetricFloorTarget Doors/week250350 Inspections/week610 Contracts/week12 Customer complaints00

Days 31 to 60: Assess Progress

30-day checkpoint meeting: are they on track?

• If metrics hit or exceeded: PIP continues on schedule, praise them
• If 70 to 99 percent of target: PIP continues, adjust coaching
• If under 70 percent of target: written warning, final 30 days

Days 61 to 90: Final Stretch

Metrics must hit monthly quota by day 90. No "almost there." If they hit, PIP clears and rep goes back to standard management.

Day 90: Decision

• Hit quota: exit PIP, back to normal
• Missed quota: terminate (see our termination guide)

Documentation That Holds Up

Every PIP meeting generates:

1. Agenda emailed 24 hours before
2. Written notes from the meeting, dated and signed by manager
3. Metrics printout attached
4. Rep''s signed acknowledgment (or note that rep refused to sign)
5. Action items for next week

Store in a separate HR file, not the shared drive. Three years minimum retention.

PIP Template Outline

Your PIP document should fit on 2 pages:

• Page 1: Employee name, date, supervisor, position. Performance issues (3 to 5 specific bullets with numbers). Goals and metrics. Timeline.
• Page 2: Coaching and resources. Check-in schedule. Consequences of failure to improve. Signature lines (employee, supervisor, witness).

The Meeting Script

Open: "I want to be direct. Your numbers are not where they need to be. We are placing you on a Performance Improvement Plan. This is a formal program with a 90-day timeline."

Walk through: "Here are the specific issues. Here is what we need to see. Here is the coaching support we are providing."

Close: "Do you have questions? I need you to sign acknowledging you received this. Signing does not mean you agree. It means you got it."

Hard to run this cold. Practice with HR before the meeting.

Coaching During PIP

Weekly 1:1s are 45 minutes, structured:

• Minutes 1 to 10: metrics review
• Minutes 11 to 25: pipeline walkthrough, deal by deal
• Minutes 26 to 40: role-play or skill coaching on one specific weakness
• Minutes 41 to 45: commitments for next week, written down

Skip a 1:1 and the PIP is compromised. Rep can argue you did not provide the coaching you promised.

What Breaks PIPs

1. Vague metrics: "improve sales" is not PIP-able. "Close 7 contracts in month 3" is.
2. Shifting goalposts: do not change the metrics mid-PIP. Set them at day 0 and stick to them.
3. Manager ignoring the PIP: if you do not show up to weekly 1:1s, the rep learns the PIP is not real.
4. Pipeline starvation: if the rep is on PIP and you reassign all their leads, you have guaranteed failure. Give them a reasonable pipeline.

Exit Ramp

If the rep will not turn around, give them a chance to leave gracefully. At the 60-day checkpoint, if it is clear they will not hit quota:

"Based on progress to date, you are not on track to complete this PIP. You have two options: continue the PIP and face likely termination at day 90, or resign now with 2 weeks severance and a neutral reference."

Many reps take the exit. Saves you the termination hassle and gives them a clean departure.

RoofKnockers Supplies PIP Metrics

Activity and outcome metrics pull straight from RoofKnockers into PIP weekly reviews. No spreadsheets, no manual tracking. See pricing.

FAQ

Can we PIP a rep still in their 90-day ramp?

No. Extend the ramp period instead. PIPs are for post-ramp reps.

Does a PIP mean we are definitely firing them?

No. Roughly 40 percent of PIPs result in recovery. Treat it as a real improvement effort, not a paper trail.

What if the rep complains that the PIP is unfair?

Document the complaint. Review the metrics. If they are accurate and the goals are achievable, hold firm. See our dispute resolution guide for process ideas.