Recently I used the term “Sales Fiction” with a client of ours.

What is Sales Fiction?

Well, sales people tend to be optimistic. You kind of have to be.

I certainly am when I put on my sales hat.

There are countless possibilities that can turn into a closed won deal.

But in B2B sales, on average 70-85% of opportunities created don’t result in a win.

And for the ones that do, the deal’s budget amount and timing changes over time.

That means that many companies have an over-inflated amount of deals in their pipeline.

For one of our manufacturing clients, that gap led to production chaos. They were caught in a cycle of producing either too much product or not enough.

Working with sales pro Robert Roseberry, we coined the term Sales Fiction.

To be clear, Sales Fiction isn’t about salespeople being inaccurate. It’s usually a process thing, from qualification to pipeline management.

Here are some simple ways that you can address Sales Fiction in your organization:

✔️ Determine clear qualification criteria, e.g. MEDDIC, to ensure deals are created only when a prospect is truly ready to buy.

✔️ Regularly evaluate active deals and update timing, probability, next steps, blockers, and amount.

Not only does this keep your momentum going, but you can collaborate with colleagues on how to tip these opportunities.

✔️ Determine criteria to close deals that aren’t a firm “no.”

A lot of companies like to make this time based (e.g. 90 days) but that can be hard to enforce. Building automations and a nurture or re-engagement flow can help offset the concern of closing deals prematurely.

That way your talented, hard-working sales team can prioritize other prospects and deals that are more likely to close.

Have you encountered Sales Fiction in your organization?

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