How the sales capacity calculator works
Sales capacity planning asks whether a team can deliver its revenue target with the sellers it has. Multiplying every rep by full quota can overstate capacity if historical attainment is lower. This model uses your expected average attainment to convert nominal quota into a more grounded capacity estimate.
The required headcount rounds up because a fraction of a person cannot cover a territory. This is productive headcount, not the number of offers to make or people on payroll. A hiring plan needs additional allowances for recruitment time, onboarding, ramp and expected attrition.
Capacity = productive reps × quota per rep × attainment ÷ 100; reps needed = ceiling(target ÷ expected revenue per rep)
Worked example
Start with the example inputs below. The calculator opens with these values; reset the example at any time to compare your own scenario. Monetary examples use GBP, and all amounts must use the same currency.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Fully productive reps | 5 |
| Quota per rep for the period | 200000 |
| Expected average attainment (%) | 80 |
| Team revenue target | 1000000 |
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Team revenue capacity | £800,000.00 |
| Fully productive reps needed | 7 |
| Capacity gap | £200,000.00 |
Capacity uses fully productive reps and matching quota periods. Hiring lead time and ramp are excluded.
How to use the result
Use the same period for quota and target, then check the attainment assumption against recent comparable cohorts. Separate account executives from roles that do not carry closing quota. If territories or segments have materially different quotas, calculate each group separately and add their expected revenue.
Compare the gap with pipeline availability before approving more hiring. Additional reps create capacity only when there are sufficient qualified opportunities, managers and supporting resources for them to sell effectively.
Assumptions and common mistakes
The model assumes equal productive capacity across reps. It excludes vacancies, holidays, territory transfers and hiring delays. Attainment is capped at 100% here to keep staffing plans from relying on overperformance. Use the ramp quota tool to model how a new hire's first period differs from a mature rep's.