Two Proven Habits of High-Performing Sales Managers
Sales pipeline management and team performance are two pillars of a successful sales organization – yet many businesses still struggle to build consistent processes that deliver reliable forecasts and measurable growth. Whether you’re leading a fast-moving sales team or managing a growing book of business in insurance, technology, or professional services, the key to success lies in structure, clarity, and accountability.
At ForgeXRM, we’ve worked with hundreds of organizations to streamline their sales operations using CRM tools like Microsoft Dynamics 365. Based on that experience, we’ve identified two essential habits that consistently set high-performing sales leaders apart. When implemented correctly, these habits not only improve forecasting accuracy but also create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across your team.
1. Standardize Your Internal Sales Language
Inconsistent definitions of opportunity stages are one of the most common (and costly) issues we see in sales teams. If your reps are interpreting pipeline stages differently, or skipping stages altogether, your data becomes unreliable and your forecasts inaccurate.
Top-performing sales managers ensure that everyone on the team is speaking the same language when it comes to the sales process. This means:
- Defining clear, non-negotiable criteria for each pipeline stage.
- Training every rep to use these definitions consistently.
- Making this internal language highly visible—whether printed, shared digitally, or built directly into your CRM dashboards.
For example, if a rep has received a verbal commitment from a client, that deal should be in a late-stage status—not sitting in an early stage to keep forecasts conservative. By aligning your team around consistent definitions, you eliminate guesswork, improve data accuracy, and empower better decision-making at every level – mastering your sales pipeline management and team performance.
2. Implement a Cadence of Recurring Business Reviews
Sales performance isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about measuring progress and coaching effectively along the way. Without regular business reviews, it’s nearly impossible to identify performance gaps before they impact your bottom line.
The best sales leaders run structured, recurring business reviews that cover:
- Pipeline status and forecast accuracy
- Deal progression and bottlenecks
- Individual and team performance against goals
- Coaching opportunities and next steps
These reviews don’t need to be time-consuming. In fact, a focused 30-minute pipeline check-in each week can help reps stay on track, address stuck opportunities, and keep leadership informed.
One example we cover in the full post involves a mid-sized insurance agency struggling with flat close rates and limited visibility. By implementing standardized sales stages and a weekly review process, the agency quickly identified common deal blockers and improved producer accountability. This leads to better outcomes across the board.
CRM as a Force Multiplier
When paired with a flexible CRM platform like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Microsoft Power Platform, these two habits become even more impactful. Dynamics 365 offers customizable sales stages, built-in reporting, and integrations with tools like Outlook—making it easy for salespeople to stay productive and for managers to access the insights they need.
At ForgeXRM, we specialize in building tailored CRM and XRM solutions for industries like health insurance, technology, and professional services. Our experience and CRM solutions help sales leaders focus on what matters, mastering sales pipeline management and team performance:
- Improve pipeline visibility
- Align CRM workflows to your actual sales process
- Automate reporting and business reviews
- Scale performance coaching through better data
Contact ForgeXRM today to learn how we can help you improve sales forecasting, team accountability, and operational efficiency.
👉 Read the full article here to dive deeper into these two habits and discover how your sales team can perform at the next level.
