Dear SaaStr: My Sales Rep is Grossly Underperforming but is Involved in a Key Deal. Should I Fire Him or Wait for The Deal to Close?

In a post published on Monday, SaaStr advises founders to part ways with a sales rep who is consistently underperforming, even if that rep is tied to a key deal. The reasoning is that a weak performer drags down the whole team, is unlikely to be the factor moving the deal forward, and wastes valuable leads that could be captured by a stronger colleague. SaaStr recommends reassigning the opportunity—perhaps even taking it over yourself—while ending the employment relationship but still honoring any earned commission. In short, the guidance is to cut ties with the underperformer now and double‑down on high‑performing talent to protect revenue.

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