Sales Pipeline Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A rep focuses only on deals near the bottom of the funnel (close-ready). What long-term problem does this create?
- Deals close too quickly, reducing average selling price
- The top of the pipeline dries up, causing a future revenue gap (Correct answer)
- The CRM becomes overcrowded with closed deals
- Competitors gain access to the rep's accounts
Correct answer: The top of the pipeline dries up, causing a future revenue gap
Neglecting top-of-funnel prospecting creates a feast-or-famine cycle where revenue drops sharply after current deals close.
Question 2: What is the purpose of defining clear exit criteria for each pipeline stage?
- To allow reps to skip stages when deals move fast
- To ensure deals only advance when buyer actions confirm readiness (Correct answer)
- To reduce the number of stages in the pipeline
- To give managers control over which deals reps pursue
Correct answer: To ensure deals only advance when buyer actions confirm readiness
Exit criteria anchor stage advancement to buyer behavior, not rep optimism, keeping the pipeline accurate.
Question 3: A prospect has gone dark after a positive discovery call. Which outreach sequence is MOST effective?
- Send one final email and mark as lost
- Alternate channels (phone, email, LinkedIn) over 2-3 weeks before disengaging (Correct answer)
- Escalate to legal for contract enforcement
- Immediately offer a 20% discount to re-engage
Correct answer: Alternate channels (phone, email, LinkedIn) over 2-3 weeks before disengaging
A multi-channel, multi-touch sequence maximizes the chance of reaching a prospect who may simply be busy or using a different channel.
Question 4: Which pipeline KPI would MOST directly help a rep improve their close rate?
- Number of calls made per day
- Win/loss ratio by stage where deals are lost most often (Correct answer)
- Total pipeline dollar value
- Number of proposals sent per month
Correct answer: Win/loss ratio by stage where deals are lost most often
Knowing at which stage deals are lost most often pinpoints exactly where to improve skills or process.
Question 5: What is a 'pipeline coverage ratio' and why does it matter?
- The ratio of phone calls to emails, indicating outreach balance
- The multiple of pipeline value vs. quota, indicating whether there is enough opportunity to hit targets (Correct answer)
- The percentage of deals sourced by marketing vs. sales
- The ratio of new deals to lost deals in a given quarter
Correct answer: The multiple of pipeline value vs. quota, indicating whether there is enough opportunity to hit targets
A 3x-4x coverage ratio is typically recommended so reps have enough pipeline to absorb normal attrition and still hit quota.
Question 6: During a pipeline review, a rep says a deal is '90% likely to close this quarter' but has had no contact with the prospect in 3 weeks. What should a manager conclude?
- The probability estimate is likely inflated and the deal needs re-qualification (Correct answer)
- The prospect is close to signing and needs no further contact
- The deal should be moved to next quarter automatically
- The rep needs to be replaced on the account
Correct answer: The probability estimate is likely inflated and the deal needs re-qualification
High probability estimates require recent, active buyer engagement to be credible; lack of contact is a red flag for deal slippage.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes a 'mutual action plan' (MAP) in pipeline management?
- An internal document outlining the rep's weekly call targets
- A shared timeline agreed upon by buyer and seller to reach a decision (Correct answer)
- A marketing plan for account-based outreach
- A manager's scorecard for evaluating rep performance
Correct answer: A shared timeline agreed upon by buyer and seller to reach a decision
A MAP aligns both parties on next steps and timelines, increasing accountability and reducing deal slippage.
Sales Pipeline Management 3
A rep focuses only on deals near the bottom of the funnel (close-ready).
What long-term problem does this create?