RevOps Rant: When Top-Down and Bottom-Up Targets Don’t Align (A RevOps Survival Guide to Negotiating Annual Planning)

Ah, annual planning. That magical time when leadership hands down big, audacious targets from above—and we look at the data from the ground up and think, “There’s no way.” It’s like being asked to bake a cake with half the ingredients. If you’re in RevOps, you know exactly what I’m talking about: top-down and bottom-up targets often don’t match up. So, what’s a RevOps pro to do?

Let’s talk about navigating this (totally fun and not at all stressful) process of negotiating targets and finding a middle ground that won’t keep you up at night.

1. Start with the Reality Check

Okay, first things first: if there’s a major gap between top-down goals (what leadership wants) and bottom-up projections (what the data says we can realistically achieve), don’t panic. This gap is common, and it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. But it does mean you’ll need to dig into the details and be ready to make a case for why these numbers aren’t lining up.

What this looks like: Get into the data! Analyze historical performance, pipeline trends, and conversion rates. If leadership wants 40% growth, but the past few years have been more like 20%, that’s a solid starting point for a reality check. Your data is your best friend here because it’s hard for anyone to argue with numbers.

2. Bring the “Art of the Possible” to the Table

This is the negotiation phase, or as I like to think of it, “how to get leadership excited about what is possible.” Instead of going back with a straight-up “nope,” try to frame your bottom-up targets as what you can accomplish with the resources at hand. Highlight the opportunities that align with the big goals and suggest any tweaks that might close the gap.

Example: Leadership wants 50% growth. Your bottom-up says 25%. Maybe you go back with: “We can likely get closer to 35% if we double down on X market, invest in Y new resource, or adjust Z process.” Show them the path to stretch goals without over-promising.

3. Break Down the “Wish List” and Reality

Sometimes leadership’s top-down number is based on a vision that doesn’t fully match operational reality. They want to grow new customer segments and expand accounts and improve retention—all at once. The RevOps role here is to bring focus to that wish list and get specific about what’s really feasible.

This is where it’s time to get comfortable pushing back. Ask questions like:

• “If we prioritize this growth target, where can we pull back?”

• “What would it take to get additional resources for this?”

Keep it focused on solutions and what each goal realistically demands in terms of resources, time, or new processes. It can turn a big, lofty target into a more focused, achievable plan.

4. Show the Risks—and the Potential Wins

If there’s still a big mismatch, don’t be afraid to call out risks. Not in a “this is doomed” kind of way, but in a constructive way that shows you’re thinking about the bigger picture. Leadership wants to know what might trip us up, so bringing the risks to the table (with the right tone) can actually strengthen your position.

But here’s the key: pair every risk with a potential upside. Think of it as showing the full story—if we aim for X goal, here’s the reward and here’s the risk.

Example: “If we aim for 40% growth, we’ll need a bigger pipeline, which might mean less focus on nurturing current clients. The upside is high, but it’s also worth thinking about how we’ll protect our churn rate.”

5. Propose a Quarterly Review Cadence

If all else fails and leadership really wants to stick to an aggressive top-down target, suggest a compromise: set a quarterly review cadence. Quarterly reviews give you a chance to adjust based on how things are actually going. It’s a great way to get buy-in without fully committing to something that may not be achievable.

Quarterly check-ins keep everyone accountable and allow you to reset or pivot before things get off track. You can frame this as a way to keep the team flexible, data-driven, and responsive to real-time results.

6. End with a “Let’s Win Together” Mentality

Remember, the end goal here isn’t to “win” the negotiation; it’s to align everyone around a plan that can actually work. Your job in RevOps is to make sure these targets are realistic and executable, so don’t be afraid to show how committed you are to hitting the mark once you’ve got everyone on the same page.

Final Thoughts

Negotiating top-down and bottom-up targets is tricky, no doubt about it. But with a solid dose of data, a proactive approach to solutions, and a commitment to transparency, you can find a middle ground that respects leadership’s vision while staying grounded in reality.

In the end, the magic is in making the data work with the vision—one step, one adjustment, one reality check at a time.