Companies base very important decisions on their sales opportunity pipelines. Examples include employee headcount, inventory levels, marketing investments, etc. If opportunity pipelines are inaccurate, or if opportunities do not close in predictable time frames, it can wreak havoc on vital financial measurements such as revenue, profit, and cash flow. This makes maximizing the accuracy of sales forecasts and opportunity pipelines critical to every company’s success.
What is the condition of your company’s opportunity pipeline? How many opportunities are listed? What is the total dollar value of these opportunities? How many have been stalled at the same step in the sales cycle for extended periods (weeks or months)? Are your company’s salespeople held accountable for producing accurate forecasts and maintaining current, accurate opportunity pipelines?