Accurate Forecasting of Revenue Pipelines

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.