Leaderboard (ranking board) is a visual display that ranks sales reps based on performance metrics like revenue, closed deals, or quota attainment. Displayed on screens, in dashboards, or through team communication, leaderboards create visibility into who's performing best and drive competitive motivation. According to Gartner (2024), 78% of sales organizations use leaderboards as a motivation tool.
Leaderboards tap into natural competitive instincts:
According to WorldatWork (2024), leaderboards increase sales performance by an average of 14%.
| Metric | Best For | Update Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue/Bookings | AEs, closers | Daily or real-time |
| Closed deals | Volume-based roles | Daily |
| Quota attainment % | Fair comparison across quotas | Weekly |
| Meetings booked | SDRs/BDRs | Daily |
| Pipeline created | SDRs, outbound reps | Weekly |
| SPIF progress | During SPIF campaigns | Real-time |
Simple ranking by total metric value. Best for comparing reps with similar quotas/territories.
Ranks by percent of quota achieved. More fair when reps have different targets.
Ranks by change from previous period. Motivates improvement regardless of absolute position.
Ranks teams against each other. Promotes collaboration within teams.
| Rank | Rep | Revenue | Attainment | Deals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarah J. | $215,000 | 143% | 12 |
| 2 | Mike T. | $184,000 | 122% | 9 |
| 3 | Lisa K. | $173,000 | 116% | 14 |
| 4 | James R. | $148,000 | 99% | 8 |
| 5 | Amy W. | $140,000 | 94% | 11 |
| Risk | Consequence | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Demotivates bottom performers | Give up, frustration | Show only top 10, or use improvement metric |
| Unhealthy competition | Hoarding leads, sabotaging others | Balance with team goals |
| Unfair comparison | Perceived inequity | Use attainment % instead of absolute numbers |
| Short-term focus | Sacrificing quality for speed | Include quality metrics |
Choose the right metric: The metric should align with what you want reps to prioritize.
Update frequently: Stale leaderboards lose impact. Real-time or daily updates keep competition alive.
Make it visible: Display leaderboards where reps see them regularly—office screens, Slack channels, sales dashboards.
Celebrate winners: Publicly recognize leaderboard leaders. Ring the bell, send announcements, offer small prizes.
Showing only top 10 avoids demotivating bottom performers. For teams comfortable with full transparency, the entire list can work.
Balance individual leaderboards with team goals and bonuses. According to Pavilion (2024), team components reduce "sabotage behavior" by 67%.
Daily or real-time to keep competition alive. Weekly updates lose momentum.
Static spreadsheet leaderboards are cumbersome to maintain and quickly become outdated. Prowi provides real-time leaderboards that update automatically when deals close—keeping competition alive and your team motivated.