Assigning targets before a deal is closed?

Has anybody ever had a target placed against an account that isn’t closed yet? I have a few prospective customers I am negotiating with and my organization has given me revenue targets against those accounts even though they aren’t closed yet! I’m flattered by the confidence in my closing ability but this is ridiculous? Am I crazy?

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12
CuriousFox
WR Officer
5
🦊
You should schedule a 1 on 1 with your manager to see why and what their method of madness is here so to speak. 
Novaredneck
Valued Contributor
3
IoT Sales Specialist
I did, he didnt have an answer. Its insanity
Theloanemperor
Opinionated
3
Loan Officer
i'd be insulted if my regional VP looked at my book of business and said "you know i think you could maximize on your referral partners more, here's what I see....." STFU!! Most of the people in upper management in my business haven't even done a fkn mortgage before, but know everything about how the biz works. Grosses me out.
ARRisLife
Politicker
3
Account Executive
That's bonkers to me.
Coffeesforclosers
Notable Contributor
3
Director Sales and Market Development
This makes absolutely no sense to me. Quota attainment, sure, forecasting, sure. But adding a layer to an active deal is not ok, let me handle my business
PhlipOut
Politicker
3
Account Executive
YEs, i worked in a company that did this as our sales cycles were so long and our business model was not typical SaaS. It was sh*t.
a big deal slips and your year is done.
sketchysales
Politicker
3
Sales Manager
This used to happen all the time in my current company, it is the worst and most demoralizing thing you can do to your sales guys, particularly when they dont pull off.  I just always point blank refused to accept it.  I would say, thats my personal goal, its in my head, its on my personal "want to achieves" but this is my realistic forecast and it does not include that deal.  Commercially it makes absolutely no sense assign targets to a brand until it is confirmed.    
MMMGood
Celebrated Contributor
2
Senior Account Executive
Forecasting against YOUR expectations for the revenue is one thing...and assigning revenue you're expected to get from a customer is another. That doesn't make sense to me and seems like it's a setup for failure. No offense to you, of course. 
Novaredneck
Valued Contributor
1
IoT Sales Specialist
None taken, and you're right. It totally is, because if they don't close, I'm stuck with a target against an account that doesn't exist.
Lambda
Tycoon
2
Sales Consultant
There must be a reason behind it. They may be prospecting for you or have metrics to understand the potential? But if they don't know.... Then it's speculation at best 
Theloanemperor
Opinionated
2
Loan Officer
My personal outlook on being a sales person is you get to build your own business with someone else's product. For your organization to be setting revenue targets on YOUR clients is absurd. How the hell do they know? The intricacies and nuances of each companies needs and the relationship that needs to be built to gain a sale appears to have flown over your higher up's heads'.
eman
Politicker
1
Account Executive
They are clawing at thin air to hit a number
artofsales
Good Citizen
1
Sr. Director of Enterprise Sales
so i have seen this happening from upper management. Here is what I got my team to do... While everyone has deals in the pipeline, I encourage everyone to have their own back-pocket deals that they work on. Come a rainy day, deals from this are what they look into
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