Sales Managers: why do you expect reps to be able to “pull in” or “fast track” deals?

Serious question here. I have had some great managers who never did this, but more frequently I’ve had two bosses that do this on a daily basis. Sometimes even several times a day. I think I get it - pressure from the top... the shit always rolls down hill.


But almost all sales managers / directors / VP’s were once a rep and have to know that this just doesn’t work. Buyers have their own timelines and are going to buy when they’re ready... dropping our pants on price or something similar makes us look bad and usually doesn’t work.


So why do managers so often pressure reps for deals? Expect them to be “pulled in” or “closed early”?


Fellow reps, do you experience this too? Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this from both sides.

📈 Closing
☁️ Software Tech
🧢 Sales Management
3
softwaresails
Politicker
4
Sales Manager
For my team, I’m not asking them to fast track deals. I like to game plan with them. 

Many times as we game plan together we come up with solutions to problems or come up with ways to get the deal through the door sooner. 

At least for me, I realize that you can’t really “fast track” a deal but many times there are things that we can come up with (like pricing them differently, coming at it a different angle with solutions to different problems, or running a discount by them) to close the deal sooner rather than later. 

When I was an AE I appreciated my Sales Manager talking through deals with me and providing his feedback because many times we just become complacent and tell ourselves the deal will come through when it comes through. 

A real sales savage can help create urgency. 
Salespreuner
Big Shot
2
Regional Sales Director
Amazing reminder and thought process
softwaresails
Politicker
2
Sales Manager
It’s so easy to become complacent and say “whatever happens happens”. Are we hunters or are we order takers?

Hunters go out and make something happen. 
Salespreuner
Big Shot
2
Regional Sales Director
Hunters are creators and even, extractors
Very well said
mrsexyspizza
Politicker
2
Account Executive
I think I needed that reminder myself lol
Salespreuner
Big Shot
0
Regional Sales Director
Perfect 🔥
JuicyKlay
Celebrated Contributor
1
AM
because their job is on the line....
CuriousFox
WR Officer
0
🦊
I think it's important to stay in front of the customer.  Change the timeline to a closer date. Remind them how you solve their problem. Keep the communication going so the deal won't fizzle out. 
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
Shit moves downward. Their bosses pressure them to find more revenue so they pressure their reps. Then deals get closed at bigger discounts than are needed and are sometimes lost. It's the same reason that you see public companies do dumb shit that help juice the stock price in the short term.
Chep
WR Officer
0
Bitcoin Adoption Specialist
"Dropping our pants on price" has given me the funniest imagery of a frantic exec desperately trying to get a buyer to buy🤣
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