Welcome to the new fiscal year.
The time of year when dashboards reset to zero and everyone starts fresh. Unless you’re one of those companies that decided to get creative with their fiscal calendar – in that case, pretend this applies whenever your Q1 starts.
Whether you crushed 2025 or 2025 crushed you, it has zero impact on how you perform this year.
But how you kick things off now sets the tone for your entire year. So this issue will cover 4 things you can do to set yourself up for success.
Here we go!
FEATURE
1/ Get to inbox zero
You’re probably coming back to a backlog of unread emails after the break.
The faster you clear the clutter, the sooner you can work on what actually moves the needle.
So get to inbox zero quickly, then focus on what matters.
2/ Analyze your comp plan
Companies usually revise comp plans at the start of a new fiscal year to align with broader company goals. Most reps skim it, sign it, and move on.
Don’t be that guy.
You need to know your comp plan inside out. So spend the time to understand how you actually get paid. At a minimum, you should be able to answer these off the top of your head:
What one closed deal is worth: If you close a $50K deal, how much hits your bank account?
Revenue you need to hit quota: If your quota is $1M but only new business counts at 100%, you need to know the math.
When accelerators and decelerators kick in: This determines which deals to prioritize, so know the exact percentages and when they trigger.
How timing affects your pay: A deal closed on March 31 vs. April 1 can lead to very different payouts depending on how the comp plan is structured.
Once you understand this, you can study your book of business and decide where to allocate your time.
3/ Clean your pipeline
Salespeople love to complain about updating the CRM.
But whether we like it or not, your pipeline is often the only visibility senior leadership has into your work. And that perception matters – especially during promotions and layoffs.
Here’s what keeping your pipeline clean means:
Close out dead deals from previous quarters.
Update deal stages for open opps to reflect their actual status.
Update notes on open opps with last activity and clear next steps, so anyone can understand what’s happening at a quick glance.
Fix deal values and close dates.
A clean pipeline signals you’re organized and on top of your business.
4/ Set up intros with new accounts (the right way)
Most intro call requests look something like this:
Hi John, It’s Bailey, your new Account Manager at TechCo. I’d love to set up an intro call and learn more about your business.
Please share some available slots so we can schedule a meeting.
Bailey
This approach is lazy.
It gives the customer no reason to respond, let alone spend 30 minutes on a call. There’s no value, no preparation, and no explanation of what they’ll actually get out of the meeting.
There’s a better way.
Before asking for a meeting, do the pre-work:
Connect with the previous AE
Review past calls and notes
Look at usage, gaps, or opportunities
Identify something concrete you can help with
Here’s what a more prepared message looks like:
Hi John, it’s Bailey, your new Account Manager at TechCo.
I’ve already connected with David (your previous AM) and reviewed previous call recordings to get up to speed.
I noticed a few opportunities to optimize your usage that could drive some cost savings. I can quickly walk you through that and introduce myself as your main point of contact going forward.
Do you have a few minutes to chat next week? How’s Thursday or Friday at 10am ET?
Bailey
Simply inheriting an account doesn't entitle you to a meeting. Showing up prepared earns it.
YOUR TWO CENTS
➡ What's your 2026 quota compared to 2025?
Higher
About the same
Lower (lucky me)
Don't know yet
*Reply with your number. I’ll share the poll results in the next issue.
LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS
➡ Which part of your deal stalls most often?
Pricing - 42%
Security review - 0%
Legal - 12%
Final sign-off - 46%
