Stressed out about sales forecasting?

Guest post by: Debbie Robinson
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Who are the most mentally tough and resilient in the face of work and life stress? - By Debbie Robinson

Do you fill your sales pipeline with suspects rather than prospects hoping to convince yourself and your sales manager that all will come right in the end? Who are you kidding? This sort of wishing and hoping is stressful and energy sapping.

Month after month the same "opportunity" sits in your pipeline. Each time you have a review meeting with your sales manager you come up with reasons why it has not progressed or closed. "The decision maker is away on business" "The board meeting has been delayed"...excuses excuses!

It doesn't have to be this way. Providing a solid, reliable forecast will build your confidence and your credibility and is a fundamental part of being a successful sales professional.

You want to improve your ability and reduce your stress levels, so what's preventing you from forecasting accurately and consistently? Let's try and find out why.

How do you specifically utilise the sales process that your company has implemented?
What areas, if any, do you skip?
What is it that causes you to omit these steps?
What evidence do you have that it's ok to omit these steps?
What do you need to do to build your competence in mastering these steps?
Where can you get help from?
What else could you do?
What will prevent you from getting help?
How will you over come this?
What are the consequences of not improving?
What are the benefits of improving?
How will you feel when your forecasting improves?
Who within your sales team forecasts well?
What is it that they do specifically?
What can you learn from them?
What one thing could you do to improve your forecasting ability?
What's stopping you from doing it now?
When will you take action?

Making excuses for poor sales forecasting is avoiding personal responsibility. Firstly, become aware of what you do and how you approach it. Decide what it is you need to do to improve, then take control and DO IT!

The Sales Pipeline

Three Steps to Successful Sales Forecasting

5 Simple Steps To Forecasting Your Sales

Increased Sales Effectiveness: Opportunity #1

Hypotheticals, Scenarios and Foresight

Cash Flow Forecasting

Questions Every CEO Should Be Asking His Sales Managers

Towards More Reliable B2B Sales Forecasting And A Better Business to Business Sales Strategy

Pipeline Management

Flush the Ambiguity out of your Sales Pipeline

Stressed Out or Stressed In?

Fast and Effective ways for Coping with Stress!

Understand Pipeline Management for Stronger Forecasts

Addressing Common Difficulties for Sales Leaders

Self-Coaching Tip: Enjoy Doing Your Taxes

Your Sales Organization has Never Been So Important

How To Balance Your Career And Family

How To Balance Your Job Duties And Your Family

How To Balance A Family, Your Job, And Your Stresses

Managing Your Job and Your Family Issues

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Who are the most mentally tough and resilient in the face of work and life stress? - By Debbie Robinson

About the Author: Debbie Robinson

RSS for Debbie's articles - Visit Debbie's website

I built up and sold my successful business and have genuine hands-on experience of running a business and the challenges that entails. I have been responsible for creating and implementing winning business strategies and the development of high performance sales cultures. My direct and holistic approach to business enables me to get to the core of the issue and to provide rational and realistic solutions. I am an excellent communicator and not afraid to challenge the status quo.

I have total empathy with owners and managers that are frustrated with lack luster performance and work closely with managers and sales professionals to refine strategy, engagement tactics and process, as well as develop sales skills, attitudes and behaviors needed for business success and growth.

Click here to visit Debbie's website.

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