Causes of Low Trust in Sales Territory Systems

2 in 10 deals never make it to the CRM. Not because they’re lost. Because they’re hidden. Welcome to the shadow pipeline. And no, it’s not a rep problem. It’s a trust problem. Listen to this - a Rep had a lead come in through a partner intro. It wasn’t assigned. It wasn’t clean. No campaign tag, no clear owner. He’d followed up, had two great discovery calls, and started shaping a proposal. But he never added it to the pipeline board. Why? The Rep's logic: Log it early, risk territory disputes. Close it quietly first, secure the credit. The rep wasn’t new. He wasn't careless. He’d just been burned before. Last quarter, he split a $60K deal 50/50 with a rep who sent one email - because the account mapping was vague and the credit rules were looser than they should’ve been. So this time? He played it quiet. He kept it off the books. Until it stalled in procurement. Because it wasn’t in the system - no one noticed it slipping. No forecast flag. No coaching. No support. Three weeks later, the deal was gone. And because it never hit the board, no one talked about it. But it wasn’t an isolated case. Reps hide deals when unclear rules, territory overlaps, and comp structures turn them into defenders of their own earnings. As a leader, you can’t coach what you can’t see. And you won’t see it if reps are second-guessing the system that’s supposed to reward them. This was a long time ago but that was a great logo and I still feel pissed when I think about it. I have ever since actively tried to avoid this wherever I go. At Everstage, this is something I obsess over. Clear rules. Clean credit logic. Instant visibility. Because when reps trust the process, they log in early, flag risks, and ask for help. It starts with trust in the system. Because reps won’t log what they think they’ll lose. But when they do? You actually get to coach before it’s too late. https://lnkd.in/e-CBeXBT

Only 15% of sales reps feel confident in their territory assignments, and it's not just about numbers—it's about livelihoods. Territory equity matters more than we often acknowledge. After exploring the latest insights on territory planning, I realized that equitable territory distribution is crucial for maintaining trust within sales teams. When territories are misaligned, it doesn’t just impact quotas; it impacts morale and retention. For instance, if one rep gets a high-potential region while another is stuck with a low-engagement territory, the latter feels the weight of inequity. In our industry, sales reps often rely on variable compensation to support their families, which is why territory fairness is a critical concern. It’s not just a numbers game; it’s about how we design territories to foster trust and collaboration. When sales leaders provide clear guidelines and maintain open communication during territory changes, they set the stage for success. I've seen teams thrive when they partner with marketing to balance lead generation across territories, ensuring no rep feels left behind. *Transparency is key.* When changes happen, informing the team early and clearly can prevent misunderstandings and resentment. Questions I'm asking myself: - How can we ensure our territory designs promote fairness and trust among reps? - What mechanisms do we have in place to regularly evaluate territory performance beyond just sales numbers? - Are we effectively communicating the rationale behind territory changes to minimize pushback? I’m curious to hear how other revenue leaders are approaching territory equity and ensuring their teams feel valued in the process. #RevenueOperations #SalesLeadership #TerritoryManagement #B2BSales #SalesStrategy

Roderick Jefferson's Right. The Problem Isn’t Your People, It’s What Your System’s Doing to Their Trust. Rod nails it: most revenue teams don’t lose deals because their people lack drive, grit, or even skill. They lose because the system they operate in quietly erodes trust, between teams, with customers, and even in themselves. Here’s where Rod’s insight hits hardest: Even world-class talent can’t outrun a system built for yesterday’s market. The real execution risk isn’t in your sales floor. It’s in the moments of friction your system introduces, delays, patchwork processes, and slow approvals, that quietly bleed belief out of every deal. What Nobody Talks About: Trust Drift Let’s make this clear: your “revenue friction” isn’t just a process issue, it’s a trust issue. Every manual handoff, every delayed quote, every approval loop sends a signal: this company can’t keep its promises at speed. Rod and I have seen it everywhere, from billion-dollar enterprises to hungry startups. The companies that win? They aren’t just “faster.” They build systems that amplify trust at every touchpoint. The Real Cost of Friction: Execution gets slower. But belief fades even faster. Talent isn’t wasted. Trust is. When your best people are stuck in drag and dead work, you’re not just burning money. You’re burning trust. Customers don’t remember your intent. They remember your lag. Every slow response is a vote against your reliability. Scaling chaos only multiplies mistrust. Growth amplifies every flaw. The Ally Method™ Upgrade: Systems That Protect Trust Rod’s point is the launchpad. Here’s how to turn his wisdom into unstoppable execution: Empathy: Start by listening for the emotional cost of your broken system. Where does your process make people, customers and team, feel unheard, unsafe, or invisible? Clarity: Strip away the noise. Show people what matters. Give your teams permission to focus and move without fear of mistakes. Alignment: Co-create, don’t dictate. Let people help redesign the flow. The system must serve the humans, not the other way round. Ready to Move? Don’t let friction drift into a trust crisis. Map every process pain point as a trust signal. Ask yourself (and your team): Where does our system force people to compensate for chaos? Rod, appreciate you for raising the flag. Let’s keep leading with empathy and clarity, hard on the process, generous with our people. What’s the smallest “friction” in your process that creates the biggest trust leak? Drop your example below, and DM Roderick Jefferson if you want him to speak at your SKO or DM me if you want to talk about transforming your performance. We’ll build the system your best people deserve. #MostTrustedOS #BuyerSafety #TrustAsInfrastructure