For Sales Directors, these are the closing weeks before Quarter End or Year End.
Here’s a checklist for Sales Directors to motivate your team to go all out for the last push, & ensure your CEO is aligned on expectations. This checklist gives best practice on driving sales results without overburdening the team nor underselling expectations to the CEO.
Section 1: Motivating the Sales Team:
1. ?Conduct a Clear Team Stand-Up Meeting (First Week) ??
- Set clear, focused goals for the final two weeks.
- Acknowledge current performance and challenges, but reframe as opportunities.
- Emphasize collective targets, highlighting the importance of teamwork in achieving the end-of-year goals.
2. ?Personal 1:1s with Each Salesperson ??
- Tailor conversations to each rep’s pipeline, identifying specific deals that can close within two weeks.
- Ask open-ended questions about what roadblocks exist and how you can help remove them.
- Avoid micromanagement, but emphasize urgency in a direct and respectful way.
- Provide individualized support (e.g., offering executive-level involvement in critical negotiations).
- Get accuracy and honesty from your Salespeople - they should not be afraid to deliver bad news.
?3. ?Create a "Deal Close" Priority List ??
- Ask each salesperson to create a ranked list of deals that can realistically close within the next two weeks.
- ?Set daily or bi-daily check-ins on the progress of these deals, but keep the tone collaborative.
- Break down major deals into smaller, executable next steps (e.g., securing signatures, final legal reviews).
?4. ?Offer Sales Incentives for the Final Push ??
- Introduce a short-term incentive or reward for closing deals within the final two weeks (bonus, weekend getaway, high-visibility recognition).
- Make the incentive meaningful but achievable — focus on motivating without undermining long-term strategy.
??5. ?Promote Collaboration & Cross-Team Support ??
- Encourage communication between sales and other departments (e.g., legal, finance, marketing) to streamline any necessary approvals or expedite contract processing.
- Liaise with your leadership peers in Presales, Client Services, Marketing about reassigning resources (e.g., sales engineers) to help accelerate deal closure.
?6. ?Leverage Executive-Level Support ??
- Offer your team access to yourself or other senior leadership for high-impact client meetings.
- ?Ensure executives are available to support final negotiations or provide validation for key customers.
?7. ?Daily "End of Day" Wins & Progress Recognition ??
- Celebrate every win or major milestone achieved, even if it's not a full deal closure.
- Send out a brief, motivational end-of-day summary acknowledging specific efforts made by individuals or teams.
- Check in via phone with individual salespeople at least 2 x week. Let them know their efforts are appreciated.
?8. ?Encourage Focus & Eliminate Distractions ??
- Emphasise that the next two weeks should be focused only on closing deals, minimizing low-impact meetings or internal distractions.
- Offer flexibility to work outside the office, provided that it helps the reps stay more productive.
Section 2: How to Manage Your CEO's Expectations:
?1. ?Provide a Realistic Sales Forecast ??
- Be transparent with the CEO about what deals are expected to close in the final two weeks and what may be at risk.
- Present a detailed, data-driven pipeline report that categorizes deals by "high probability," "moderate probability," and "low probability."
- Align the CEO’s expectations with market realities while highlighting potential last-minute wins.
?2. ?Pre-emptively Identify Challenges ??
- Communicate potential challenges (e.g., prolonged procurement processes, economic client hesitations) that could delay deal closures beyond the fiscal year.
- Frame these issues not as excuses but as realities, and outline how the team is addressing them.
?3. ?Highlight Strategic Wins and Future Opportunities ??
- Share any significant strategic wins, even if they won’t close within the two-week period (e.g., a major partnership in progress, expanded contracts in negotiation).
- Present any leads or negotiations that may close early next year, framing them as building momentum for the upcoming fiscal year.
?4. ?Weekly Check-In with the CEO (or More Frequently if Required) ??
- Send a concise update (e.g. every 2-3 days) detailing progress, wins, challenges, and expectations for the next few days.
- Be candid in these updates, but offer solutions to any issues raised.
?5. ?Outline a Contingency Plan for Missed Targets ??
- If there’s a risk of missing end-of-year targets, have a proactive plan ready to present to the CEO (e.g., rolling over deals into the next fiscal year with a clear roadmap to closure).
- Discuss next steps to secure early Q1 wins if targets aren’t fully met this year.
?6. ?Present Long-Term Vision Alongside Short-Term Results ??
- Balance your final two-week focus on deal closure with a reminder to the CEO of the long-term growth strategy. Discuss the broader value of nurturing key relationships, even if some deals don’t close immediately.
??7. ?Executive-Level Support Request ??
- Inform the CEO when their involvement can directly impact a deal’s closure and make clear, specific asks for their help (e.g., high-level discussions with C-suite clients).
1. ?End-of-Year Summary to CEO ??
- Provide a final, comprehensive report summarizing closed deals, missed opportunities, and key learnings.
- Frame any unmet targets in a constructive light, focusing on learnings and how they will drive next year’s strategy.
- Provide concise forecast for the next Quarter.
?2. ?Team Celebration and Recognition ??
- Once the final numbers are in, ensure the team is acknowledged for their hard work, regardless of the outcome.
- Celebrate successes but also highlight what was achieved and how it will fuel future growth.
