How To Avoid Getting Blindsided By Sales Not Closing On Time

I was reminded how important it is to avoid getting blindsided in sales.  It is so painful when you are expecting to make your sales numbers, and have spending commitments that need you to make the numbers... And then... WHAM!  The quarter ends and you failed to make those numbers by a large margin.  Happens when you least expected it, and unfortunately when you can least afford it!  If only you knew ahead of time, you could have planned for it.

Here are a couple of ideas to help you protect your blindside in sales.  You get blindsided by things that were unexpected.  Things you did not see.  Consider looking at the following weekly on a sales dashboard:

• Sales Pipeline Metric:  What is it that is the best predictor of closing sales that you can measure that is in your sales pipeline?  One of my clients uses the deals that are in the last stage of their sales cycle.
• Bad surprises:  These come from other non-sales functions in your company.  Are there any product delivery items that could surprise you negatively?  Any new products being released that you are depending on to make your sales goal?
• Customer Boil Overs:  Are there any customer accounts that are unhappy that could boil over and affect your ability to win deals?

Remember...  you do not get blindsided by things you know about.  Rather, you get blindsided by the unexpected.  Think outside the box.  Think about the unexpected.