Sales leaders face extraordinary pressure to balance two competing demands: short-term volume and profit expectations, and the long-term challenge of supporting sustainable growth. Balancing these usually involves some form of smoothing? results ? moderating the highest peaks, and lowest valleys, of unpredictable results. This session details sales leaders' efforts to manage performance and earnings for greater predictability. Based on academic research and illustrated with practical examples, this presentation covers the negative as well as positive consequences of these practices, including:
- The central role that senior strategic account sellers play in helping companies regularly fulfill Wall Street expectations;
- The effects of Wall Street expectations on the relationship between salespeople and their customers;
- The potential damage short-term targets have on long-term relationships;
- Conflict between finance and sales at the close of financial reporting periods; and
- Best practices in sales pipeline management that help firms smooth earnings and consistently make their numbers
