Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management Flashcards

A sales manager notices that deals are consistently stalling at the proposal stage. What is the BEST first action?

Answer: Analyze lost deals to identify common objections at proposal stage

Analyzing lost deals at the proposal stage reveals the root cause of stalls so targeted improvements can be made.

Which metric best measures how efficiently a sales team converts pipeline into revenue?

Answer: Win rate

Win rate directly measures the percentage of opportunities that convert to closed-won revenue.

A company wants to expand into a new vertical market. Which strategic approach should a sales manager prioritize first?

Answer: Conduct market research and develop an ideal customer profile for the vertical

Developing an ICP for the new vertical ensures the team targets the right prospects before investing in headcount or campaigns.

What does a pipeline coverage ratio of 3:1 indicate?

Answer: The team has three times the quota in open pipeline opportunities

A 3:1 coverage ratio means pipeline value is three times the revenue target, providing a buffer for expected losses.

Which qualification framework focuses on evaluating the customer's identified pain, authority, consequence, and target profile?

Answer: PACT

PACT (Pain, Authority, Consequence, Target Profile) is a qualification framework that assesses buyer readiness and fit.

A rep's pipeline is large but has many opportunities that have not advanced in 60+ days. A sales manager should MOST LIKELY:

Answer: Conduct a deal review to remove or re-qualify stagnant opportunities

Stagnant opportunities inflate pipeline metrics and distort forecasts; reviewing and re-qualifying them improves pipeline accuracy.

When designing a go-to-market strategy for a new product, which element should be defined LAST?

Answer: Sales channel selection

Sales channel selection is typically finalized after understanding the target segment, value proposition, and pricing, as channels depend on those decisions.