What Is 'Sandbagging' in B2B Sales?

Have you heard of sandbagging? No, the term doesn't refer to building walls of sandbags. It's actually a sales process used in the B2B industry. B2B sales reps use it to improve their ability to meet sales quotas. While sandbagging can prove useful for this purpose, though, it isn't always beneficial. For a better understanding of sandbagging and how it works in the B2B industry, let's get started.

Overview of Sandbagging

The term "sandbagging," when used in the context of B2B sales, refers to the practice of postponing a sale until the following month or fiscal period. Most B2B sales reps, of course, want to close sales as quickly as possible. The longer it takes to convert a sales lead or prospect, the more resources a B2B sales rep will consume to generate the sale. With sandbagging, however, B2B sales reps intentionally wait to close a sale. Rather than telling a lead or prospect to proceed with the purchase, a B2B sales rep will wait until the following month or fiscal period.

The general idea behind sandbagging is that it helps B2B sales reps meet their sales quotas. In medium and large-sized B2B enterprises, sales reps are often asked to close a minimum number of sales per month or fiscal period. Assuming a B2B sales rep has already met his or her quota for the current month or fiscal period, the B2B sales rep may postpone closing any new sales until the following month or fiscal period. By doing so, the B2B sales rep is more likely to meet his or her sales quota for the following month or fiscal period as well.

Is Sandbagging Is a Good Idea?

Sandbagging may help you meet your sales quotas, but it poses several concerns of which you should be aware. For starters, there's no guarantee that a sales lead or prospect will follow through the purchase in the future. B2B buyers often need products or services immediately, as they rely on them to perform their own business's operations. If you postpone a sale, the lead or prospect may choose a competitor's product or service, resulting in a lost sale for your B2B company.

In addition to fewer sales, sandbagging can be time consuming. It's oftentimes difficult to reach leads and prospects, especially if they are high-level decision-makers. If you don't close the sale immediately and decide to postpone it, you'll have to try and contact the lead or prospect in the future. Of course, he or she might be unavailable or otherwise difficult to reach.

Maximizing the Sale

You have sales going on and you're making your quota with a robust sales funnel. Every good sales rep wonders if it will end? Or if something happens to the economy, then what? To help keep your good success moving forward, keeping the sales funnel filled it vitally important. 

One way to keep the momentum going in the right direction is with SalesLeads' Custom Lead Generation. We'll help you to identify prospects that fit your buyer personas. By combining our technology, prospect data and our industry experience, we'll create a customized list of sales prospects that match your successfully closed sales. Learn more about it now.