Sales forecasting can feel a lot like gambling in Vegas. A few statistics from a recent CSO Insights study suggest that you have better odds at winning in Vegas than at producing an accurate sales forecast.
Most sales organizations are losing the forecast accuracy game because they fail to take the customer’s buying process into account. Their SFA solutions only serve to reinforce this disconnect, making it too easy for a rep to move a deal to the next stage based on a gut feeling.
We’ve all seen the three personas that can negatively affect our forecast accuracy:
- There are the “Happy Ears” who go all in because they have a good feeling about the customer.
- Then there are the “Sandbaggers” who hold onto their cards for the next month because they have already met this month’s quota.
- Lastly, the “Clueless” have no idea what a Stage 4 deal is supposed to look like.
Don’t let your reps gamble with your pipeline. The team can identify the verifiable outcomes that are aligned with how the customer buys with a sales playbook. This will replace the sandbagging and over-optimism with evidence-based selling. Without a sales playbook, you risk becoming a scary statistic.
