When a Sales Rep Stops Being Coachable Your Business Bleeds Revenue: When to Fire an Underperforming Sales Rep
- sami ali
- Jul 10
- 3 min read
If you run a high-ticket offer or manage an outbound sales team, this is for you.
Hiring a sales rep is easy.
Keeping a good one? That’s the real challenge.
This is a story about what happens when a sales rep stops being coachable. And how that decision to hold on too long cost us more than just missed revenue. It cost us momentum.
It Started Strong.. Like Most Sales Hires Do
The rep had a solid interview.
Said all the right things.
Talked about growth mindset.
Talked about wanting to become a closer.
Said they were hungry to earn on commission and put in the reps.
Month one was decent.
Nothing flashy, but enough to see potential.
They showed up to calls.
Booked a few demos.
Asked questions.
Then it shifted.
Coachability Is a Skillset — Not Just a Buzzword
By month two, things slowed down.
They stopped asking for feedback.
When feedback came their way, they resisted it.
They talked back on coaching calls.
Blamed the CRM.
Blamed the script.
Blamed the leads.
They even started ghosting training sessions.
The worst part?
The attitude.
A passive-aggressive energy started showing up in team meetings.
Slack messages were short and cold.
Calls felt forced.
It was no longer a culture fit.
They were no longer coachable — and that’s when we started losing revenue.
Numbers Do Not Lie — Especially in Outbound Sales
We looked at the dashboard:
Show-up rate dropped from 28% to 15%
Fewer notes in the CRM
Demos were being mishandled
Closers were frustrated
Follow-ups were missed
Team morale dipped
This was no longer just about one rep.
It was about the entire sales process breaking down because one cog in the machine was not turning.
And when one rep starts slipping
Everyone else feels it
The Hardest Part Is Letting Go
Letting go of someone you like is never easy.
But liking someone does not grow your business.
Performance does.
So we sat down, showed the data, and gave them a chance to turn things around.
They argued.
Dismissed the feedback.
Didn’t take ownership.
And that made the decision simple.
What Happened Next Was Immediate
We brought in a new SDR.
No experience in our niche.
But eager to learn.
Humble.
Organized.
Coachable.
Within two weeks:
Show-up rate jumped to 35%
Follow-ups were consistent
Call recordings showed energy and flow
The team felt alive again
That one change in personnel shifted the entire rhythm of the sales floor.
Here’s the Lesson - When to Fire an Underperforming Sales Rep
You do not need a “rockstar”
You need someone who’s hungry, organized, and coachable
Here are 3 signs it’s time to fire an underperforming sales rep:
They resist feedback
They stop showing signs of improvement
They bring tension to your culture
And here are 3 traits of every great SDR:
They follow systems
They ask better questions over time
They make your closers better
Sales is a team sport.
And if your weakest link is unchecked, you’re quietly burning your pipeline, hurting your revenue, and delaying growth.
The Role of Sales Leadership
If you’re a sales leader, business owner, or offer owner, your responsibility is to protect the pipeline and maintain a standard.
Your offer deserves a strong front line.
Your pipeline deserves better than mediocrity.
And your sales floor deserves consistency and clarity.
Final Thought
Let the data lead the conversation.
Not your emotions.
Not your personal biases.
Not your hope that they’ll “turn it around next month.”
If the rep stops being coachable, the sales stop coming in.
Let them go.
Replace them with someone who wants to win.
Build a Performance-Only SDR Team That Delivers
At Sales Jump, we build commission-based SDR teams that:
Work on qualified leads
Use battle-tested cold calling scripts
Follow automation-backed workflows
Plug into your CRM with accountability
Deliver real results without bloated overhead
Whether you're running a coaching program, high-ticket offer, or live event, we help you scale your appointments with performance-first reps who know how to execute.