A quota plan lives or dies in a spreadsheet. Tools and dashboards come later - the planning model is where you stress-test assumptions, close gaps, and build the artifact that Finance, Sales, and the exec team will argue over until they align. Here is the spreadsheet structure that keeps the whole process organized.
Tab 1: Headcount Plan¶
This tab tracks who is on the team, month by month.
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rep Name | Current and planned reps | Sarah Chen |
| Role | SDR, MM AE, Enterprise AE | MM AE |
| Segment | Market segment assigned | Mid-Market |
| Start Date | Actual or projected hire date | 2026-03-01 |
| End Date | Leave date if known, blank if active | - |
| Status | Active, Planned Hire, Backfill, Attrition | Active |
| Jan - Dec | 1 if active that month, 0 if not | 1 |
The monthly columns auto-calculate based on start and end dates. Sum each column for total active headcount by month. Add a row at the bottom for each segment subtotal.
Tab 2: Ramp Schedule¶
This tab converts headcount into productive capacity.
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rep Name | Pulled from Headcount tab | Sarah Chen |
| Months Since Start | Calculated from start date vs. current month | 4 |
| Ramp % | Lookup from ramp curve by role type | 85% |
| Full Monthly Quota | Annual quota / 12 | $62.5K |
| Ramped Monthly Quota | Full quota x Ramp % | $53.1K |
Build a separate reference table for ramp curves:
| Months | SDR | MM AE | Ent AE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30% | 15% | 0% |
| 2 | 65% | 35% | 10% |
| 3 | 90% | 60% | 25% |
| 4 | 100% | 85% | 50% |
| 5 | - | 100% | 75% |
| 6 | - | - | 100% |
Use VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH to pull the right ramp percentage based on role and tenure.
Tab 3: Territory Capacity¶
This tab validates that quotas are achievable given territory data.
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rep Name | Pulled from Headcount tab | Sarah Chen |
| Territory | Territory ID or name | MW-MM-04 |
| Accounts | Total assigned accounts | 185 |
| TTM Pipeline | Trailing 12-month pipeline generated | $1.8M |
| TTM Closed Won | Trailing 12-month bookings | $620K |
| Win Rate | Closed Won / Total Opps | 24% |
| Implied Capacity | TTM Pipeline x Win Rate x Growth Factor | $520K |
| Assigned Quota | From rollup tab | $750K |
| Coverage Ratio | Implied Capacity / Assigned Quota | 0.69x |
Any territory with a coverage ratio below 1.0x is a red flag. Either reduce the quota or redesign the territory. A ratio of 1.5x or above is the target for a well-supported quota.
Tab 4: Rollup¶
This is the executive summary tab that pulls everything together.
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | From Headcount tab | Mid-Market |
| Active Reps (Avg) | Average monthly headcount | 14.2 |
| Ramped Capacity | Sum of Ramped Monthly Quota x 12 | $9.8M |
| Total Assigned Quota | Sum of all rep quotas in segment | $10.5M |
| Historical Attainment | Trailing median attainment for segment | 91% |
| Expected Bookings | Assigned Quota x Attainment | $9.6M |
| Revenue Target | From Finance | $9.2M |
| Buffer | Expected Bookings - Revenue Target | $0.4M |
Add a grand total row summing all segments. This is your quota-to-revenue bridge in spreadsheet form.
Structural Tips¶
- Lock the reference tables (ramp curves, attainment assumptions) in a separate tab with cell protection so they do not get accidentally edited
- Color-code inputs vs. calculations - blue font for manual inputs, black for formulas
- Add a changelog tab documenting every assumption change with a date and reason
- Version the file with a date stamp in the filename (e.g., Quota_Plan_v2026-01-15)
Key Takeaways¶
- Structure your quota spreadsheet with four core tabs: Headcount, Ramp, Territory Capacity, and Rollup
- Auto-calculate ramp capacity using role-specific curves and rep tenure
- Validate every quota against territory-level pipeline coverage before finalizing
- Add a changelog tab and version your files - quota planning is iterative and you need an audit trail