Pacing vs Pipeline

So many sales managers that I've consulted over the years always focused on pacing. In today's sporadic placement of ad dollars this year vs last, that measurement can be easily flawed.  I want to share with you an excerpt from my memo entitled the

11 Fundamental Focuses of Sales Management 

This section was referencing Pipeline. 

Pipeline: Pipeline will be the focus of our conversations second only to staffing. One year ago, virtually none of our sales managers were conversant on their pipeline. Today, this is changing, but we still have far too many who focus on annual pacing and are thus looking through the rear-view mirror, not the windshield. As a sales manager, you should know your pipeline by media asset as well as your gap to goal in quarterly increments. That way you can forecast your business and make the necessary moves to stay on plan.

The second step is to understand in greater detail what makes up the pipeline or the book of business. That enables you to see where your holes are in coverage and direct your staff to attack all potential areas of demand by identifying key prospects in categories that should be spending with us. Sellers grow pipelines from nothing more than consistent ask activity with existing customers and developmental targets. Pipelines will only increase from asks and subsequent pending based on probability.