There are lots of ways to diagnose and inspect opportunities. Have we identified the buyer's "pain"? Are we talking to the decision-maker? Is there budget blah blah ... Usually the answers to these questions are positive enough to keep assuming the opportunity is strong and real. Then, 3 months later nothing has happened or moved. Here are better questions for stress-testing your top sales opportunities:
1 What is the very next step needed to get to closed?
2 When is that happening?
3 What does the prospect think the next step is about?
Action Point This Week:
Isolate those opportunities in your current sales forecast (e.g. week / month / quarter). These are typically your "top" deals. Then apply the 3 questions above. You will quickly begin to see if the opportunities are in the correct pipeline stage or should they be re-classified / re-located to a more realistic position.
For the purpose of the exercise, imagine your sales pipeline laid out as a workflow, below. (Ask your manager to switch on "Kanban" in your CRM - most modern CRMs have the visualized workflow available).
There are lots of ways to diagnose and inspect opportunities. Have we identified the buyer's "pain"? Are we talking to the decision-maker? Is there budget blah blah ... Usually the answers to these questions are positive enough to keep assuming the opportunity is strong and real. Then, 3 months later nothing has happened or moved. Here are better questions for stress-testing your top sales opportunities:
1 What is the very next step needed to get to closed?
2 When is that happening?
3 What does the prospect think the next step is about?
Action Point This Week:
Isolate those opportunities in your current sales forecast (e.g. week / month / quarter). These are typically your "top" deals. Then apply the 3 questions above. You will quickly begin to see if the opportunities are in the correct pipeline stage or should they be re-classified / re-located to a more realistic position.
For the purpose of the exercise, imagine your sales pipeline laid out as a workflow, below. (Ask your manager to switch on "Kanban" in your CRM - most modern CRMs have the visualized workflow available).
There are lots of ways to diagnose and inspect opportunities. Have we identified the buyer's "pain"? Are we talking to the decision-maker? Is there budget blah blah ... Usually the answers to these questions are positive enough to keep assuming the opportunity is strong and real. Then, 3 months later nothing has happened or moved. Here are better questions for stress-testing your top sales opportunities:
1 What is the very next step needed to get to closed?
2 When is that happening?
3 What does the prospect think the next step is about?
Action Point This Week:
Isolate those opportunities in your current sales forecast (e.g. week / month / quarter). These are typically your "top" deals. Then apply the 3 questions above. You will quickly begin to see if the opportunities are in the correct pipeline stage or should they be re-classified / re-located to a more realistic position.
For the purpose of the exercise, imagine your sales pipeline laid out as a workflow, below. (Ask your manager to switch on "Kanban" in your CRM - most modern CRMs have the visualized workflow available).