Question

Once a quarter, every six months, or annually, each salesperson should estimate the buying potential of each account for each major product or product line. Such a request usually causes the sales force to panic. What goals are likely to be achieved by having the sales force participate in sales forecasting? What are the potential pitfalls, if any? How could those pitfalls be overcome?

Answer 1

. Once a quarter, every six months, or annually, each salesperson should estimate the buying potential of each account for each major product or product line. Such a request usually causes the sales force to panic. What goals are likely to be achieved by having the sales force participated in sales forecasting? What are the potential pitfalls, if any? How could those pitfalls be overcome?

• By having the sales force participated in sales forecasting, companies are more likely to reach goals based on not having any shortages or surplus of a product. The sales force can specifically tell a company how much their clients are truly buying. The pitfalls of getting the sales force involved are basing the sales forecast more on opinion and talk from people in the sales force, rather than data.