A sales manager runs what she calls "an all-out blitz" with her department to focus on closing sales in the last month of the third quarter.Her department exceeds its quota by 20%.
They focused on closing all the pending sales they could,and moving customers in the evaluation stage to buy.At the end of the fourth quarter,however,although her team closed a higher percentage of sales than they had in the third quarter at a higher average dollar value,the team brought in only 70% of what it brought in in the third quarter.
-What critical error did the sales manager make in the all-out blitz month?
A)She focused on sales and forgot about modeling ethical behavior for her team.
B)She pushed the product too strongly and she and her team lost focus on the customers' needs.
C)She relied on the excitement of a sales promotion instead of focusing on the basics of proper sales techniques.
D)She incorrectly calculated commissions relative to sales for her team members.
E)She failed to look at pipeline analytics and notice the lack of prospects in the pipeline.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sales manager's critical error was failing to look at pipeline analytics and noticing the lack of prospects in the pipeline. By solely focusing on closing pending sales and pushing customers in the evaluation stage to buy, the sales team may have exhausted their pipeline of potential customers, leading to a decrease in sales in the following quarter. This highlights the importance of balancing short-term sales goals with long-term pipeline management.

A Sales Manager Runs What She Calls "An All-Out Blitz