Sales Rep Missing Quota? 5-Step Performance Improvement Plan for Roofing Sales Managers

Your rep closes 18% of qualified appointments. Team average is 32%. He's been with you four months. You hired him because he had door-to-door experience and crushed his interview. Now he's burning through your best storm-damaged territories and converting nothing.

You're thinking about firing him. Before you do, read this.

Before You Fire: Most Underperformers Are Fixable

Here's what most managers don't know: Only 46.7% of sales reps globally meet quota according to Sales Hacker's industry analysis. That means more than half of all sales reps are technically underperforming at any given time. The difference between top-performing companies and everyone else isn't that they hire better—it's that they fix underperformers instead of constantly replacing them.

The data on Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) tells an interesting story. According to Mystrika's comprehensive PIP research, 50-70% of PIPs end in termination. That sounds terrible. But here's the flip side: companies that implement structured support systems see 80% PIP success rates according to Forecastio's sales performance analysis.

The difference? Structure. The 80% success companies don't wing it. They follow a systematic process to diagnose the actual problem, target the specific skill gap, and provide intensive support for 30 days. That's what this guide gives you.

The math is simple: Replacing a rep costs $15,000-$20,000 in recruiting, training, and lost productivity according to Atrium's sales management research. Fixing one costs 30 days of focused management time. Even if you only save one rep out of three attempts, you're ahead financially. But with the right process, you'll save far more than that.

Diagnosing the Real Problem (It's Usually Not Effort)

Most managers assume underperformers aren't working hard enough. That's rarely the issue. According to HubSpot's sales research, 47% of Account Executives left their jobs specifically due to lack of training or poor onboarding. They wanted to succeed. They just didn't know how.

Before you start a performance improvement plan, you need to diagnose the actual problem. Here are the five most common causes of underperformance in roofing sales:

1. Lead Quality Issues

Your rep gets bottom-tier leads while top performers cherry-pick the best territories. He's knocking neighborhoods with zero visible damage while senior reps work hail-blasted subdivisions. Fix: Rotate territories or analyze lead quality by rep to ensure fair distribution.

2. Specific Skill Gaps

This is the most fixable problem. The rep doesn't know how to handle insurance objections, can't qualify properly, or presents pricing before building value. According to AISDR's 2025 sales statistics, 18% of companies cite objection handling as their main sales bottleneck. Fix: Identify the ONE skill gap causing the biggest revenue leak.

3. Personal or Motivation Issues

Life happens. Divorce, sick kid, depression, financial stress. Sometimes the rep is dealing with personal stuff that's temporarily tanking performance. Fix: Have an honest conversation. If it's temporary and he's committed to working through it, give him time. If he's checked out mentally, move on.

4. Territory Problems

Some territories just suck. If your rep works an area that got canvassed by six competitors last season, he won't hit quota no matter how skilled he is. Fix: Analyze territory performance historically. If the area consistently underperforms, reassign or abandon it.

5. Product or Pricing Competitiveness

Your rep might be doing everything right, but your pricing is 20% above market or lead times are 8 weeks when competitors deliver in 4. That's not a rep problem. Fix: Shop your competitors. If you're consistently losing on price or timeline, adjust your offering or target different segments.

The key insight: Most managers jump straight to "work harder" without diagnosing which of these five problems is actually causing underperformance. That's why most PIPs fail. You're fixing the wrong thing.

The 5-Step Performance Improvement Plan

This process works. It's structured, time-bound, and focuses on fixing one specific gap rather than everything at once. Here's exactly how to run it.

Step 1: Data Review (Day 1)

Pull every metric you have on this rep. Don't guess. Look at actual numbers and compare them to team averages.

Metrics to pull:

• Doors knocked per day (activity level)
• Appointments set per 100 doors (pitch effectiveness)
• Appointments completed vs no-shows (follow-up skills)
• Close rate on completed appointments (objection handling)
• Average ticket size (upselling capability)

What you're looking for: The specific point where this rep falls below team average. Is he knocking enough doors but not getting appointments? That's a door pitch problem. Getting appointments but not closing? That's objection handling. Closing at decent rates but tiny tickets? That's upselling.

Example diagnosis: Rep knocks 80 doors/day (team average: 85). Sets 6 appointments per 100 doors (team average: 8). Closes 18% of appointments (team average: 32%). Average ticket: $19,500 (team average: $21,200).

The problem: Close rate is destroying him. He's getting in front of people but losing 82% of them. That's where we focus.

Step 2: Honest Conversation (Day 2-3)

Schedule a sit-down meeting. Not a ride-along. A real conversation where you both have time to think and talk. According to Sales Enablement Collective's PIP research, 42% of employees feel less loyal after being placed on a PIP—but only if it's presented as punishment rather than support.

Start with questions, not accusations:

• "What do you think is happening with your close rate?"
• "Walk me through your last three appointments that didn't close."
• "When you hit 'your price is too high,' what do you say?"
• "What do you think you need to get better at?"

Listen for coachable signs:

• Takes ownership: "I'm struggling with insurance objections"
• Asks for help: "Can you show me how you handle that?"
• Willing to practice: "I'll do whatever it takes"

Listen for uncoachable signs:

• Blames leads: "All my leads are garbage"
• Defensive: "I'm doing everything right, it's not my fault"
• Not interested: "This just isn't for me"

If you get coachable signs, move to Step 3. If uncoachable, skip to termination. You can't fix someone who doesn't want to be fixed.

Step 3: Targeted Training (Days 4-14)

Here's where most managers fail: they try to fix everything at once. That overwhelms the rep and dilutes the impact. According to Qwilr's sales statistics, 81% of companies believe productivity would improve with better processes and skills training. The key word is "targeted."

Focus on ONE skill gap for two weeks.

Using our example (low close rate), here's the training plan:

Days 4-7: Objection Handling Intensive

Identify the top 5 objections killing this rep:

1. "Your price is too high"
2. "I need to get more quotes"
3. "My insurance deductible is too high"
4. "I'm not sure about GAF vs CertainTeed"
5. "Can you do it cheaper?"

For each objection, the rep needs to practice the response 20-30 times before it becomes automatic. That's 100-150 practice conversations in one week. You can't provide that volume through ride-alongs or role-playing with other reps—everyone's too busy knocking doors.

This is where GhostRep's Objection Mastery solves the practice volume problem. The rep logs in for 30 minutes each morning and practices handling "price is too high" objections 15-20 times in a row. The AI doesn't let him off easy—it throws variations: "My neighbor paid $15K," "I got a quote for $18K," "That seems high for what you're doing." By day 7, he's heard every version of the price objection and his responses become automatic.

The platform tracks which objections he struggles with most and increases difficulty as he improves. No ride-along can give you that kind of targeted, high-volume practice.

Days 8-14: Real-World Application + Real-Time Coaching

Now the rep takes what he practiced and uses it in actual appointments. But here's the critical part: you need immediate feedback. Not next-week feedback. Same-day feedback.

The problem? You can't ride along on every appointment. You have your own deals to close, territories to manage, other fires to put out. Most managers do ride-alongs once or twice during the PIP and hope it sticks. It doesn't.

GhostRep's real-time coaching solves this. The rep wears a discreet Bluetooth earpiece during appointments. When the homeowner says "Your price is too high," the AI whispers the exact response framework through the earpiece: "I understand price is important. Before we compare numbers, can I ask—what matters most: lowest price today, or the warranty that protects your investment for 25 years?"

The rep gets coached on EVERY appointment, not just the two you can attend. After the appointment, you review the conversation transcript together in your daily 15-minute check-in. You see exactly which objections came up, which responses worked, and which need more practice.

The goal: By day 14, the rep should be closing 24-26% of appointments (still below team average of 32%, but showing clear improvement from 18%).

Step 4: Increased Oversight (Days 15-30)

The rep has the skills now. The question is: will he actually use them consistently? This is where most improvement plans fall apart. The rep knows what to do, but reverts to old habits when pressure hits. You need daily accountability.

Daily check-ins (15 minutes each morning):

• How many appointments today?
• Which objections are you expecting?
• Review last night's AI Roleplay practice results—which scenarios did he struggle with?
• What's your game plan for each one?

If his AI Roleplay practice data shows he's still failing "insurance deductible too high" objections 60% of the time in practice, you know to drill that response before he goes out. You're not guessing what to coach—the data tells you exactly where he needs help.

Ride-alongs or call reviews (2x per week minimum):

• Actually watch him work
• Provide specific, immediate feedback
• Celebrate what he does well (not just critique)

Celebrate small wins:

This matters more than you think. When the rep closes his first deal using the new objection handling framework, make a big deal about it. Text him immediately. Tell the team. Buy him lunch. According to research from Sales Enablement Collective, PIPs framed as "growth opportunities" rather than "final warnings" have 35% higher success rates.

The goal by Day 30: Close rate hits 28-30% (within 10% of team average). If he hits this, the PIP succeeded. Reduce oversight gradually but keep weekly check-ins for another 60 days to ensure habits stick.

Step 5: Decision Point (Day 30)

You've invested 30 days of intensive support. Now you evaluate results objectively. Pull the same metrics from Step 1 and compare.

If metrics improved significantly (within 10% of team average):

• Reduce oversight to weekly check-ins
• Continue targeted training on next skill gap
• Document improvement for positive performance record
• Celebrate the win publicly

If metrics improved slightly but still far below average:

• Extend PIP for another 30 days with modified approach
• Consider whether you're fixing the right skill gap
• Assess whether personal/territory issues are interfering
• Be clear this is the final extension

If metrics didn't improve or got worse:

• Move to transition conversation
• Document the support provided (protects you legally)
• Provide 2-week notice or severance per company policy
• Start recruiting replacement immediately

The key is being objective. If the numbers improved, keep him. If they didn't, let him go. Don't let guilt or hope override data.

Documentation Requirements (Protect Yourself Legally)

Proper documentation protects both you and the rep. Here's what you need:

Day 1 documentation:

• Written PIP signed by both parties with specific metrics, timeline, and consequences
• Current baseline and target numbers with exact milestone dates

Ongoing documentation:

• Weekly performance data and coaching examples
• Notes from check-in conversations

Day 30 documentation:

• Final performance comparison and decision with rationale

According to Teamflect's PIP research, companies with thorough documentation see 20% fewer wrongful termination claims and 30% better PIP outcomes.

When to Skip the PIP and Move to Termination

Not every underperformer deserves a PIP. Skip it for:

1. Ethical violations: Lying to customers, faking inspections, stealing leads
2. Gross negligence: Repeated no-shows, not following up on contracts, damaging reputation
3. Uncoachable attitude: Defensive, blaming, refusing ownership during initial conversation
4. Already on second PIP: You gave them a chance. If they're back here, they won't fix it
5. Catastrophic performance: Closing 5% when team average is 32%

These need clean, documented terminations—not 30-day plans that delay the inevitable.

Preventing the Next Underperformer (Hire Better)

The best performance improvement plan is not needing one. According to VantagePoint's research, companies spent $28 billion on training and tech over five years, but quota attainment and productivity still decreased. The problem? Training the wrong people.

Better hiring prevents 70% of performance problems.

1. Test for door-to-door tolerance before hiring: Give candidates an unpaid "shadowing" day where they knock 50-100 doors with a current rep. Half quit before lunch. The ones who make it through have proven tolerance for the job's hardest part.

2. Ask scenario-based questions: Instead of "Tell me about overcoming objections," ask: "I'm a homeowner. You quoted me $22,000. I say 'My neighbor got theirs for $15,000.' What do you say?" Listen to their actual response—it reveals how they'll perform.

3. Screen for rejection resilience: Ask: "Tell me about a time you went 0-for-40. Did you quit or keep going?" Reps who've never experienced sustained rejection will crumble.

4. Use AI recruiting to screen before you interview

Manual screening for door-to-door experience, rejection tolerance, and objection handling takes hours per candidate. You read 50 resumes, interview 10 people, hire 2, and hope one works out.

GhostRep's AI Recruiting Agent flips this. Upload your job posting, and it screens hundreds of candidates automatically based on the specific traits that predict roofing sales success: prior door-to-door experience, demonstrated rejection resilience, conversational objection handling skills.

The AI conducts initial interviews via phone, asks the scenario-based questions that reveal real capability, and ranks candidates with 87% accuracy in predicting first-year performance. You only interview the top 5-10 candidates who've already been pre-qualified for the specific skills your territory demands.

The candidates who make it through this screening rarely need PIPs. They're pre-selected for the door-to-door tolerance and objection handling skills that most managers only discover are missing after three months of wasted time.

The Bottom Line

Most underperformers are fixable if you diagnose the real problem and provide structured support. The companies that retain talent aren't hiring better—they're coaching better.

The 5-step process works:

1. Pull the data to identify the specific failure point
2. Have the conversation to assess coachability
3. Train intensively on ONE skill gap for two weeks using Objection Mastery for high-volume practice
4. Provide real-time coaching on every appointment with GhostRep's Bluetooth system plus daily oversight
5. Evaluate objectively at 30 days using conversation data and metrics

If the rep improves, you've saved $15,000-$20,000 in replacement costs and kept your territories productive. If he doesn't, you've documented everything properly and can move on confidently.

But the real leverage is in prevention. Better hiring through AI-powered screening catches the underperformers before they burn through your best territories. Screen for door-to-door experience, rejection resilience, and objection handling skills before you hire—not after they've already failed.

The difference between companies with 70% rep turnover and companies with 25% turnover isn't luck. It's having systems that compress training from 12 weeks to 3 weeks, coach reps on every appointment instead of twice per month, and screen 100 candidates in the time it takes to manually review 5 resumes.

Your quota depends on it.

For more insights on building a high-performing sales team, check out our guides on reducing roofing sales turnover and why close rates drop.