selves from the pack with an intense focus on three questions: 1. What happened last quarter? 2. Can we win this quarter? 3. How will we win? When sales managers and reps are aligned on these three questions, the manager has the appropriate level of confidence in the rep’s plan...and the rep is ready to execute. It’s no coincidence those three questions sound like questions you want your VP of sales or CRO asking themselves. The best reps are “CEOs of their territory,” thinking holistically about their business and knowing what makes their patch unique. So, although individual opportuni- ties play a starring role, an effective QBR is more than a bottoms-up deal review. First-line managers need reps to deliver a plan to grow the territory across channels, products, and cus- tomer types. And the thinking behind that plan needs to survive rigorous questioning from sales management. The best reps don’t wait until their QBR to start planning. They’re con- stantly refining their plan, treating QBRs as regular snapshots where they pres- ent status and get valuable feedback. Here is how I recommend sales leaders – especially first-line man- agers – use those three questions in QBRs to ensure success for their reps and region.


TOPIC 1: WHAT HAPPENED? (UNDERSTAND HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE) While last quarter’s performance is still fresh, reps should be prepared with a cause-and-effect review: • What deals did we win last quar- ter? Why?


• Which deals did we lose last quar- ter? Why?


• What could we have done different- ly – and at what point in the sales cycle – to turn around the losses?


• What deals could we have won, but we weren’t in the running? • What top two to four takeaways


drive how the rep will run the territory next quarter? Manager confidence in a rep’s plan should be directly related to the extent they see these learnings reflected in the strategy for the up- coming quarter.


First-Line Manager Tips: • Make the nuts and bolts easy. Focus on deep thinking, not elaborate presentations.


• Well before the QBR, send out both the questions you expect to see answered in the plan and the kind of questions you’ll be asking.


• Don’t throw curveballs in the meet- ing – especially when other man- agers and executives are in the room. Just as you need confidence in their plan, they need confidence you’ve got their back. The only thing you are out to prove is that the two of you are a team.


TOPIC 2: CAN WE WIN?


(CHECK PIPELINE HEALTH) In the heat of battle at the end of the quarter, reps typically lose sight of pipeline health. They shouldn’t, but they probably will. If they spent the first two months of the quarter divid- ing their attention between short- term and long-term deals, they should be OK. But, either way, the QBR is the time to take stock. • What is the pipeline coverage (i.e., pipeline divided by quota) in the upcoming quarter? What about the following quarter?


• Do you have the right mix of deals in the pipeline? You’re usu- ally looking for both long-shot elephants to blow out the quarter and low-risk gazelles to make sure you hit it.


• Are pipeline deals stuck and building up in a specific stage in the sales process? What does that tell you?


• Why are so many deals forecasted for two or three quarters out? Sandbagging? Failure to engage?


How can you bring them in?


• Which are the zombie deals – deals that are not real and are, at best, distracting and, at worst, giv- ing us false pipeline confidence?


• Do the needs of prospects in the pipeline match your value prop and channels? Can you really win? Use the QBR to re-align with your


reps on your ideal customer profile. What industries? How many employ- ees? Who’s the decision maker? Every company’s ideal prospect will vary, but the more precise the better. At the same time, don’t be surprised – or frustrated – if your first QBRs with rigorous pipeline analysis result in a slimmer, scarier list of opportunities. Those extra deals were not real and, in sales, ignorance is never bliss. You would rather have 40 real opportuni- ties than 150 dart-throw dreams.


First-Line Manager Tips: • Don’t wait until the QBR to dis- cuss pipeline health. You know reps will be heads-down making their quarter just before the next QBR, so – especially in the first two months of every quarter – make pipeline health a part of your one-on-one agenda.


• Overcommunicate how they should balance near-term selling with building pipeline. It will never be as obvious as you think and a rep who crushes their number only to come up dry the next quarter is not helping anybody. Every sales cycle is different – so there is no rule of thumb – but, in general, know your minimum pipeline coverage ratios and make sure the first half of the quarter is spent achieving them.


• When evaluating deal mix, every territory is different, but be skepti- cal when a rep focuses exclusively on deals far above your average size without a multiple-quarter track record. Your rep might not only be putting this quarter at risk, but setting themselves up to be starting from scratch next quarter.


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