Sales opportunities 'have a shelf life'

It is important for sales managers to stress to their teams that sales opportunities have a shelf life, meaning it is crucial to keep them moving along the pipeline before they die.

Writing on The Sales Blog, S Anthony Iannarino said that one of the fundamental principles of sales is that the longer a deal sits between stages the greater the likelihood that it will stall or die altogether.

He stated that sales professionals should identify a client's dissatisfaction with the services they are currently receiving, as unsatisfied customers have a greater urgency to change the situation.

Mr Iannarino added that staff should also obtain commitments throughout the selling process and help the prospect envision a brighter future with a new product or service, which are all areas where the expertise of a sales consultancy could make a real difference.

"Your opportunities have a relatively short shelf life. You have to focus your efforts on moving your deal from target to close before that shelf life expires," he concluded.

A sales consultancy could also help professionals who have lost sales in the past identify why they failed to secure a deal and take steps to avoid a similar fate in the future.

David Brock, writing on the Partners in Excellence Blog, said that lost opportunities should be viewed as a chance to learn and move forward in a positive direction.