There’s a special kind of chaos that comes from hitting your goal—only to find out the goal just moved.
In Episode 63 of Tapped In Sales, Bud, Mike, and Ross dig into the real consequences of mid-month goal changes and stretch targets that were never meant to be hit. It’s more than just bad math—it’s bad leadership. And it’s killing momentum inside sales teams.
Let’s talk about why.
The Cost of Moving the Goalposts
If your sales reps feel like they’re chasing a moving target, it doesn’t matter how good your comp plan is. They’ll check out.
Mike summed it up well:
“The question is—do your reps feel like they’re part of the strategy, or a casualty of it?”
When reps hit a goal and then find out it’s been retroactively stretched—or worse, quietly adjusted—they stop trusting the system. It creates a culture of confusion, resentment, and disengagement.
Bud shared it plainly:
“Live with the consequences. That was our rule at Atlas. We made goals transparent and then left them alone. It’s the only way to build consistency.”
Mid-Month Mayhem: The Classic Pitfalls
We’ve seen it across the industry—and lived it ourselves. Here are some of the biggest goal-setting mistakes that come back to bite:
- 🚫 Mid-month changes with no context
- 📉 Top-down updates without rep input
- ❌ No clear reason for the change
- 🪓 Retroactive changes after the goal was already hit
Ross called this out perfectly:
“Before you finalize a goal, ask yourself: Would I be happy paying above this number?”
If you’re not sure—or if you keep revisiting it mid-month—you’ve got a deeper issue.
Financial Budgets vs. Achievable Goals
One of the more nuanced parts of the episode tackled this head-on: Should your financial budget dictate your sales goals?
Ross’s take:
“There’s a big difference between an aspirational budget and a realistic plan. And your reps can tell the difference.”
We’ve seen it play out time and time again: Companies that use aspirational budgets as the baseline for monthly targets often find themselves pushing stretch goals that nobody believes in. The result? Reps give up before they start.
Bud added:
“Most reps aren’t trained to live in a world of constant rejection. If they feel like they can’t win, they won’t play the game.”
So… Should You Ever Change a Goal?
Sometimes, yes. Markets shift. Data errors happen. Supplier issues arise. But when it comes to changing sales goals, here’s the framework we use with our VXP clients:
🧭 Start with the why. Share context. Be transparent.
🧠 Involve team leads. They’re closer to the field and can explain nuances.
📊 Use data, not gut. Let your math support your message.
📅 Do it before the period starts. Never during. Never after.
And always remember: momentum matters. If you break a rep’s trust once, it takes a long time to earn it back.
Stretch Goals: Legacy Thinking?
There’s still a belief out there that stretch goals “motivate the top performers.”
Mike gave the best rebuttal we’ve heard:
“People also used to smoke while pumping gas. Doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”
At VXP, we’ve measured it. When reps are regularly at 80% to goal, performance tanks. But when they’re hitting within ±5% of target, they stay engaged—and often push to exceed.
Final Takeaway
If you’re leading a sales team, building a comp plan, or just trying to drive better behavior—make your goals believable. Set them clearly. Stick with them. And when you do need to change something, be honest and data-driven.
🎧 For the full episode, including a few hot takes on Bush Light Lime and off-grid internet setups, listen to:
Tapped In Sales Episode 63 – “Don’t Move the Goalposts: The Case Against Mid-Month Mayhem”
📺 YouTube | 🎙️ Apple Podcasts
And if you’re dealing with this in your organization, drop us a line at info@vxptech.com. We’re happy to help you set goals that drive trust, effort, and results.