9/12/2025-Your ‘26 quota is negotiable

Your manager will soon be cementing your 2026 quota, so having a dialogue now is key if you need to negotiate for the best possible number.

Yes, quotas always go up, but your manager has leeway in deciding who on their team gets more or less of the overall number.

If you’re killing it this year, and the company is struggling…well, forget about “approaching the bench” and asking for ’26 quota leniency. If your company is going good, but you’re not, you might have a case for quota relief.

Today, get on your manager’s schedule to learn how s/he is thinking about your quota. You’ll need about a week to prepare, where you will present a topline rev projection for your ’26:

1. Rev projection for key accounts.

2. Same…for new business. (ALWAYS push for growth…managers love seeing that too.)

3. Risk factor percentages for each account, plus assumptions.

Your discussion with your manager should be based on data, not emotion. “Because I’m a hard worker,” or “…because I got slaughtered this year” aren’t legit arguments.

As you’ll see in this cute and funny one-minute clip from a bygone sitcom, everything is negotiable.

So…get in there and negotiate.

At a minimum, you and your manager will have an open, honest business discussion.