Should top performers get more freedom?

Published: Wed, 03/19/25

Updated: Mon, 03/24/25

March 19, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning sales world, and welcome back to The Quota. We’re nearing the end of Q1, so many of you will spend the next 12 days running around with your hair on fire, (or making it look like you’re running around with your head on fire while you sandbag deals for Q2). For now, take a break with this week’s issue, where we'll look at the Rippling spying scandal, the craziest corporate espionage story of the year. Let’s go.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

38% of B2B buyers prefer in-person meetings as their first point of contact with vendors

Source: Sopro

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

Two major lead gen providers have disappeared from LinkedIn, and it’s stirring up drama in the sales world. Sometime on March 6, 2025, a pair of sales engagement platforms — Apollo.io and Seamless.ai — disappeared from the LinkedIn platform. Both companies have Chrome extensions that salespeople use to take data from LinkedIn. In a statement sent to MarTech, Apollo.io said it is engaging with LinkedIn to find a resolution. You can read more about it here.
Google recently shook up its Cloud sales strategy unit, according to an internal memo reviewed by Business Insider. Staff in Google Cloud's strategy and operations team were told in February that the reorganization would help the company "respond faster to market demands," according to a memo sent by Google Cloud's Go-To-Market COO Greta Krupetsky. She described the new structure as a "network model," which will better support Cloud's various sales teams. You can read more about it here.

FEATURE

"Parker Conrad 2022 TechCrunch Disrupt 2" by TechCrunch is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Tech HR company Rippling alleges competitor Deel sent mole to steal Slack secrets

Grab your popcorn for this one. A dramatic corporate espionage case has unfolded in the HR technology sector between software unicorns Rippling and Deel.

On Monday morning, Parker Conrad, Rippling’s billionaire founder, posted on X that his company sued competitor Deel alleging that Deel had planted a spy inside of their organization. The 50-page lawsuit alleges racketeering, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, unfair competition, and aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty.

The Allegations

At the center of Rippling's lawsuit is the claim that an employee was working as a spy for Deel, systematically accessing and sharing confidential business strategies and sales data. According to the filing, this alleged corporate espionage was detected through unusual patterns in the employee's Slack usage.

The complaint states that beginning in November 2024, the employee began "previewing channels at a rate orders of magnitude greater than he had before," focusing particularly on channels containing sensitive sales discussions about Deel. Rippling claims the employee viewed channels related to competitive intelligence about Deel over 450 times.
Rippling alleges these channels had "no connection to his payroll operations job responsibilities" but instead contained "the most sensitive of the Company's Sales and Marketing Trade Secrets and confidential business information."

The Honeypot

According to the lawsuit, Rippling set up a "honeypot" to confirm its suspicions. The company created a fake Slack channel, shared its name with key Deel executives, and monitored whether the suspected employee would search for it. The filing claims that he did search for the channel, which Rippling presents as evidence of coordination with Deel.

The confrontation that followed certainly smelled funny. When an independent solicitor attempted to seize the employee's phone by court order, the employee allegedly locked himself in a bathroom, was heard "doing something" on his phone, and potentially tried to flush it down the toilet. The lawsuit states the employee then "stormed out of the office and fled the scene" after saying "I'm willing to take that risk" when warned about violating a court order.

Market Context

Both Rippling and Deel compete in the crowded HR technology space, offering all-in-one platforms for payroll, recruitment, benefits management, and onboarding. They face competition from established players like SAP, ADP, and Workday, along with numerous specialized startups. The companies are remarkably similar in size and valuation. Rippling is valued at just over $13 billion, while Deel was last valued at more than $12 billion. This close competition appears to have fueled an increasingly public rivalry.

Prior Tensions

The lawsuit represents an escalation of tensions that have been building publicly between the companies:

Last year, Rippling launched a marketing campaign directly targeting Deel with a "Snake Game" that portrayed Deel as selling snake oil and claimed they charged higher fees
When a Deel sales director visited the site and engaged with a chatbot, Rippling's COO later posted the exchange on Twitter
Both companies have faced scrutiny over compliance with Russian sanctions

Deel's Response

Deel has categorically denied the allegations. In a statement to TechCrunch, a spokesperson said: "Weeks after Rippling is accused of violating sanctions law in Russia and seeding falsehoods about Deel, Rippling is trying to shift the narrative with these sensationalized claims. We deny all legal wrongdoing and look forward to asserting our counterclaims."

What Happens Next

The lawsuit sets the stage for what could be a lengthy legal battle between two of the fastest-growing HR technology companies. As the case proceeds, more details will likely emerge about the competitive dynamics between these rivals and their sales and marketing strategies.

Rippling has not confirmed whether it intends to file a separate lawsuit against the employee at the center of the allegations. We’ll be following the story as it unfolds and keep you updated in future newsletters.

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

In the 1996 movie Fargo, which car brand did Jerry Lundegaard (played by William H. Macy) sell?

A. Ford
B. Oldsmobile
C. Chevrolet
D. Buick

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I took my clients to a showing for a beautiful $3.5m home — they were a doctor/publicist power couple. This was, at the time, the most expensive home I’d ever shown. The showing was going well enough, and they seemed interested in the house, and were asking questions. I took them out to the backyard, which was gorgeous. It had an infinity pool with an amazing view of the woods, a full outdoor kitchen, and a sleek fire pit area. I was really in the zone showing them around and wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. I fell into the pool....in my brand new suit... while the couple laughed hysterically. I was so embarrassed. I was just standing there in the pool and blurted out "would you care to test out the pool as well?" They started laughing even harder. I climbed out, grabbed a towel, and wrapped up the showing. They ended up putting in an offer a week later and (after a lot of other issues) bought the house.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- March 2025

WORTH A PEEK

Have you ever worked with someone who you thought would be terrible at sales but was somehow always killing it? This was a question recently posed on Reddit, with some entertaining answers. You can check out the conversation here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I manage a team of 15 reps, and my problem involves my top performer. She exceeds quota by 30%+ every quarter but regularly skips team meetings, training sessions, and company events. When she does attend, she's usually late or leaves early. I've been reluctant to address this because her numbers are outstanding, and frankly, I don't want to risk upsetting her. I know that she can get a higher paying job in a second, but I assume she stays because I give her freedom. The problem is that other team members have started questioning why they need to participate in these activities when "Rachel (not her real name) doesn't have to." They're using her absence to justify their own attendance issues or minimal participation. How can I hold the rest of the team accountable while continuing to accommodate my star performer? Or should I finally confront her about her behavior?

Concerned in New York

Dear Concerned,

Have a candid conversation with Rachel about how her absences are affecting team dynamics. Explain that while you value her performance, her behavior is creating resentment across the team. You may risk upsetting your top performer, but it seems like right now your inaction is upsetting everyone else on your team. Ask for her partnership in modeling the commitment you expect from everyone, emphasizing that her presence adds tremendous value to the team's collective success. Sometimes top performers don't realize their influence extends beyond their individual results. Good luck!