Answer extracted from the The Athena Rebels Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What's a realistic conversion rate in IT sales, and how should you set the right targets?
In IT sales, conversion rates typically range from 30 to 50 percent for every ten prospects. To set realistic goals, you need to understand your baseline by collecting data on your own past performance and comparing it against market norms. Without knowing where you currently stand, it becomes nearly impossible to establish meaningful targets for the future.
The foundation of any effective sales strategy lies in data. As Lamara Thorne explains in this episode of The Athena Rebels Podcast, you cannot set goals in a vacuum. Sales leaders must first audit what they have already achieved—not to celebrate past wins, but to establish a clear baseline.
This baseline serves three critical functions. First, it reveals whether your current conversion rate aligns with industry standards. Second, it exposes patterns in your sales cycle that might explain why deals close or stall. Third, it provides the concrete numbers you need to justify targets to your team and stakeholders.
Understanding market norms vs. your own performance
The 30–50 percent conversion range represents a solid benchmark for IT sales environments. However, your own context matters far more than any industry average. A consultancy firm selling enterprise software solutions may convert at 40 percent across all their prospects, while a reseller focused on SMBs might sit closer to 35 percent. The difference reflects deal size, sales cycle length, and buyer complexity—not performance quality.
As detailed in the full discussion, understanding your business model is the first step. Are you selling to a niche vertical or a broad market? Is the average deal size $10,000 or $100,000? These factors directly influence what a "good" conversion rate looks like for you.
The three-step goal-setting framework
Lamara Thorne breaks down realistic goal-setting into a structured process. First, collect your historical data—every deal won and lost over the past 12 to 24 months. Second, calculate your baseline conversion rate across all stages of your funnel. Third, research what peer organizations in your exact vertical are achieving.
Only after completing these steps should you set targets. If your baseline is 28 percent and your industry average is 40 percent, a reasonable goal might be 32–35 percent within the next fiscal year. This approach removes guesswork and replaces it with grounded strategy.
"It's about how do you become a chameleon without losing your authenticity."
Lamara Thorne — Strategic Consultant at Pax8 Academy. With 15 to 18 years of sales experience and a background starting in support at Nielsen, Thorne now mentors sales teams across the Pax8 ecosystem on mastering both the craft and the psychology of closing deals in complex B2B environments.
Beyond the numbers themselves, Thorne also explores the human side of sales acceleration—how sales professionals must adapt their approach to different buyer personas while staying true to their core values and communication style.
Key takeaways
- IT sales conversion rates of 30–50 percent represent the typical healthy range; use this as a starting reference point, not a target.
- Your own historical data is more valuable than industry benchmarks—calculate your baseline before setting any new goals.
- Compare your baseline against market norms in your specific vertical to identify whether you are performing above or below peer organizations.
- Set realistic, incremental targets that build on your baseline, avoiding the trap of arbitrary goals that ignore your actual context.
See also
How does having sales targets and KPIs impact sales behavior and accountability?
Metrics, targets, and KPIs are essential because you cannot manage what you do not measure. They help you understand whether you are doing the right things and drive both accountability and focus within your sales team.
Why should every employee in an organization understand their role in the sales process?
Everybody in the organization could do sales or contribute to the sales journey, as they interact with customers and businesses at different stages. A bad customer experience anywhere damages the entire sales process.
What is the difference between traditional sales and consultative B2B selling?
In B2B sales, it is about problem-solving and having a product or solution that can solve a problem for a person, individual, or organization. Sales is not about pushing a product, but understanding customer needs and offering real value.