There
are many factors that must be taken into consideration when forecasting
the revenue from a held pipeline. Will the loan fund today or tomorrow?
Will it fund at all? If it funds, how much revenue will it generate?
Each pipeline is different and all are complex. A strategist can
anticipate when to hold and when to borrow. The pipeline is not just a
holding tank, but a viable source of revenue even if it just sits on
the shelve. 360 Enhancers can recognize the advantages of this valuable
source of revenue.
Salespeople,
resellers, and
sales managers are the key people managing pipelines and forecasting.
Their willingness and ability to do that depends upon management
support, their level of skill and knowledge, measurement and rewards,
and most importantly, the sales culture. Most companies provide their
people or resellers with little more than the requirement to forecast
early and often. In many companies, the culture and management scrutiny
(not support) often create disincentives for effective pipeline
management and forecasting. In such cases, as soon as an opportunity
becomes visible in the pipeline, pressure to close the opportunity is
applied prematurely and inappropriately. In response, salespeople and
resellers distrust management and withhold information.
Effective
pipeline management
and forecasting requires complete and accurate information about all
opportunities in the pipeline from the time they first show a pulse to
the point at which they exit the pipeline. Thus, it is essential to
create an environment in which pipeline management and forecasting are
perceived to help rather than hurt salespeople. This often requires
significant cultural change, starting with the senior executives of the
corporation and including all sales managers, especially those on the
front line. 360 Enhancers strives to reinforce the energy that already
exists in a corporation to maximize its potential income from sources
already established. |