Sales Analysis

***** Software On Sailboats Desktop Sales Manager v6
***** Contact management software, sales automation software, CRM software

Sales Analysis - Rating

The following example assumes you are a sales executive for Rhythm and Blues Services - a mythical professional services company that provides equipment and services to the professional touring musician. The example pipeline is based upon the Standard template, and uses either the Eastern Area or Western Area example pipelines that were installed with this program.

One of the telltale signs of a seasoned sales professional is their ability to instinctively know where business is. That instinct is as much a judgement about when business IS NOT going to take place as it is a judgement about when business IS going to transpire. Conversely, one of the signs of a sales rookie is their pursuit of business that is never really going to happen. Rookies often find themselves chasing deals that they "see", but unfortunately no one else does.

The Rating meter is a chance to gain insight into this very basic sales topic - "Is this sales opportunity worth pursuing?" In other words, "is this client on a course of action to purchase the type of products and services that we offer?" Rating doesn't address whether the client is going to purchase OUR products and services - that comes later. It is the more general question - "Is this client likely to take action and purchase something that is in the nature of what we offer?"

Here is an example of a Rating of a deal that seems worth pursuing. The overall Rating is "Positive"

Here is what we believe we know about this sales opportunity.

Location - Positive. Certainly "where the decision is going to be made" is within our territory. There may be a few influences outside our immediate vicinity, but the key decision makers are located within our influence.

Financial Condition - Best Possible: The overall financial health of this client is outstanding. This means they have funds available to invest if the situation is right.

Funding - Very Negative: The budget for this project has not been approved. There are not specific funds earmarked for this project. While this would normally be a huge red flag, this client MAY have the resources to allocated funds to a worthwhile project at short notice. We know their overall financial condition is positive, so funds are certainly available if the justification is there. It is an issue worth watching.

Timeframe - Best Possible: This is an IMMEDIATE issue for this client. They must make their decision in a very short period of time, and that time is now.

Compelling Reason - Best Possible: The consequences of not taking action are negative and significant for this client."If we don't do something, bad things will happen..."
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