Illustrative example · fictional business
A diagnostic scorecard, prioritised findings and a practical 90-day action plan.
This is a fictional example, not a client case study. The company profile, observations and scores below are invented to demonstrate the format. They are not findings from an actual review, evidence of client results or industry benchmarks.
The example business is a UK B2B software company with an established product, a small sales team and investment-backed growth ambitions. In this scenario, reported pipeline is growing while revenue delivery and forecast confidence remain inconsistent.
A real review would test these issues against agreed CRM data, recent deals, sales materials and management interviews. Unsupported assumptions and missing information would be identified explicitly.
Illustrative executive summary
In this fictional scenario, the first priority is to establish which opportunities have buyer-confirmed momentum. Leadership should then introduce clearer stage criteria, a consistent forecast review and a coaching rhythm around live deals.
Suggested management decision: agree the three priorities below, assign owners and review implementation weekly. Establish a reliable baseline before setting outcome targets.
Illustrative scores use a five-point maturity scale: 1 = largely absent; 2 = inconsistent; 3 = defined but unevenly applied; 4 = consistently used; 5 = used consistently and reviewed for effectiveness. Scores describe the fictional scenario only.
| Area | Example score | Illustrative observation |
|---|---|---|
| Customer focus | 3 / 5Defined, uneven application | A target-customer profile exists, but qualification does not consistently refer to it. |
| Pipeline quality | 2 / 5Inconsistent | Opportunities remain open without buyer-confirmed next steps or decision timing. |
| Forecasting | 2 / 5Inconsistent | Forecast categories depend on seller confidence more than agreed buyer evidence. |
| Sales management | 2 / 5Inconsistent | Pipeline meetings focus on updates, with limited deal coaching or action follow-through. |
| Team capability | 3 / 5Defined, uneven application | Experienced sellers work differently, with no shared coaching priorities or consistent onboarding approach. |
Priority 01
Example signal: open opportunities have no agreed next step.
Recommended action: Test a sample of live deals against buyer need, ownership, decision process and next action. Separate active opportunities from nurture.
Suggested owner: Sales Leader with Account Executives.
Priority 02
Example signal: close dates move without a recorded change in the buyer’s plan.
Recommended action: Agree stage-exit criteria and forecast definitions. Record the evidence behind expected timing and review changes weekly.
Suggested owner: Sales Leader with CRM or Revenue Operations support.
Priority 03
Example signal: the same opportunity risks recur without clear follow-through.
Recommended action: Use live deals to identify one practical coaching action per seller, with an owner, a date and a check at the next review.
Suggested owner: Sales Leader with CEO sponsorship.
These are implementation phases, not a promise of revenue improvement. Owners, timing and measures would be agreed with the business after reviewing its evidence and available capacity.
Days 1–30
Suggested owners: CEO and Sales Leader.
Review: Agreed definitions, documented baseline and an owned action log.
Days 31–60
Suggested owners: Sales Leader and Account Executives.
Review: Adoption of the review process, next-step completeness and coaching follow-through.
Days 61–90
Suggested owners: CEO, Sales Leader and CRM support.
Review: Evidence of consistent use, remaining gaps and a prioritised next-quarter plan.
Your report would address your business, its sales motion, data quality, leadership structure and commercial priorities. Findings would distinguish evidence, assumptions and information gaps, with reporting recipients agreed upfront.
A follow-up dashboard could track measures such as buyer-confirmed next steps, stage conversion, forecast accuracy and completion of agreed management actions. Targets would be set against a validated baseline, rather than invented for the report.
A practical starting point
We can use an initial conversation to agree the commercial questions, the information available and the scope that would be useful.
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