Reps may never update a CRM field again.
NEWS TO KNOW
Gong announced AI Data Extractor on Wednesday.
Auto-fill and update any CRM field based on actual conversations (emails, calls, meetings) in a deal. Zero touch for reps.
Going GA in the next few months.
Reps everywhere rejoice.
📚 – Top SDR’s Strategy (he’s 18 yo) to Booking Meetings via LinkedIn
BEST FROM LAST WEEK
📝 – Challenging Prospects on WHO is Involved
💸 – How to Demo in 7 Repeatable Steps
How Top Reps Crush Quota Without Burning Out
Ever notice how some reps hit 150% of quota while still leaving the office by 6 PM?
They’re not superhuman. They just work differently.
After working with dozens of top performers, I’ve found they all follow similar patterns.
Here’s what separates them from the pack.
The 80/20 Rule Applied to Sales
Top reps obsess over finding their highest-value activities.
Sarah, a rep at a SaaS company, tracked her time for two weeks and discovered something shocking:
20% of her activities generated 73% of her closed deals.
Her biggest time wasters:
- Chasing unqualified leads (28% of her time)
- Internal meetings that could be emails (15% of her time)
- Perfect email crafting (12% of her time)
Her biggest winners:
- Strategic account planning (generated 3x more pipeline)
- Warm referral calls (converted at 4x the rate)
- Follow-up meetings within 48 hours of first call
Optional:
Track everything for one week. Use a simple spreadsheet with three columns: Activity, Time Spent, and Outcome.
You’ll be surprised what you find.
The Re-Engagement Framework
Energy Management Over Time Management
Top reps protect their energy like it’s their most valuable asset.
They’ve figured out when they’re naturally at their best and schedule accordingly.
Mike’s schedule optimization:
- 9-11 AM: Prospecting calls (his peak energy window)
- 11 AM-12 PM: Admin work (energy declining)
- 1-3 PM: Demos and important client calls (post-lunch focus)
- 3-4 PM: Follow-ups and email responses
- 4-5 PM: Pipeline review and next-day planning
He never schedules demos during his natural low-energy periods. Result?
His demo-to-close rate is 34% higher than the team average.
Find your peak hours: For one week, rate your energy level every hour from 1-10.
Schedule your most important activities during your natural 8+ hours.
The “No” Strategy
This might be the most important difference.
Top reps say no to a lot of things that seem like opportunities.
What they say no to:
- Prospects who won’t commit to a clear next step
- Deals under their minimum viable size
- Internal meetings without clear agendas
- Every internal Slack ask from a teammate
Strategic Recharging
Here’s what nobody tells you: top reps are ruthless about protecting their downtime.
They know that grinding 12-hour days consistently is a recipe for mediocre performance.
What top reps do outside work to recharge:
- Marcus runs marathons (teaches him to pace himself for the long game)
- Lisa does improv classes (makes her more comfortable with rejection and thinking on her feet)
- David woodworks (gives him a creative outlet with tangible results when deals feel abstract)
The key insight: Find activities that energize you, not just entertain you. Netflix might be relaxing, but does it make you feel more capable the next day?
Tom’s “surge and recover” method: When he’s in flow state, he’ll work until 8 PM and love every minute. When he’s off, he leaves at 5 PM sharp and doesn’t check email until the next morning. His quarterly numbers are 40% above quota because he maximizes his high-energy periods instead of forcing consistency.
Your recharge audit: List your activities outside work.
Put them in two buckets: “Drains me” and “Energizes me.”
Ruthlessly cut the drains. Double down on what fills your tank.
Your Next Steps
Pick one thing from this newsletter and implement it this week. Don’t try to change everything at once.
My recommendation? Start with the time tracking exercise. You can’t optimize what you don’t measure.
Most reps think crushing quota requires working harder. T
he best reps prove it’s about working smarter.
Win the week!!!
