Our sales reps are hitting their weekly target for pipeline opportunities created, but our close rate is dropping because they are entering low-quality leads just to make their Scorecard look green. How do we redesign this metric to prevent them from gaming the system?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When you measure a raw activity metric without a quality constraint, people will inevitably find ways to meet the target by sacrificing quality. This is especially true for sales teams driven by weekly goals.

To prevent your reps from gaming the pipeline metric, you must redefine what constitutes a valid opportunity. Do not track raw opportunities created. Instead, change the Scorecard metric to qualified opportunities accepted.

A qualified opportunity must meet strict, objective criteria before it can be entered on the Scorecard. For example, the lead must have a confirmed budget, a defined decision-maker, and a scheduled discovery call. This removes subjectivity and prevents reps from entering unqualified contacts to hit their targets.

Additionally, pair your activity metric with a quality or outcome metric. If you track qualified opportunities created, also track the conversion rate from opportunity to proposal. If the number of opportunities is high but the conversion rate is dropping, it indicates that the quality of the inputs is poor.

By structuring your metrics with clear, quality-based definitions, you align the team's weekly targets with actual business growth. This keeps your Scorecard accurate and ensures your sales pipeline reflects real revenue potential.