By
Simon Hazeldine
In sales, the pressure to hit targets and manage expectations is relentless. Sales professionals, managers, and leaders all navigate a complex landscape of forecasts, quotas, and performance metrics. Amidst these pressures, a practice known as sandbagging often emerges—a tactic where salespeople intentionally delay closing deals or underestimate their pipeline to manage expectations and gain an advantage in future reporting periods.
While sandbagging may seem like a harmless way to smooth out numbers or create a more predictable sales performance, it raises serious ethical concerns and can negatively impact businesses in the long run. This article explores the ethical dilemmas of sandbagging, why salespeople engage in it, and how organizations can foster a culture that promotes transparency, ethical forecasting, and long-term success.
What Is Sandbagging in Sales?
Sandbagging takes multiple forms across industries. It is commonly seen in two ways:
- Delaying Deals – A salesperson deliberately postpones closing a deal to carry it into the next reporting period, either to exceed quota early in the next cycle or to balance performance metrics.
- Understating Forecasts – A sales rep downplays potential deals, making expectations appear lower than reality.
When these deals close, they appear to be last-minute wins, boosting perceived performance.
In some industries sandbagging is sometimes called “sleeving”, referencing the idea of tucking a deal up one’s sleeve until it’s strategically advantageous to reveal it.
Why Do Salespeople Engage in Sandbagging?
1. Quota and Compensation Structure
The most common reason for sandbagging is quota management. Many salespeople work with quarterly or annual targets, and if they’ve already hit quota for the current period, they might push a deal into the next to ensure they start strong.
Similarly, commission structures can incentivize sandbagging. If there’s no additional benefit to closing a deal now versus next month, a rep may strategically hold it to align with bonus structures.
2. Managing Sales Leadership Expectations
Sales managers often demand aggressive forecasts, and sandbagging helps salespeople avoid setting unrealistic expectations. If a rep consistently overpromises and underdelivers, they risk scrutiny. By underpromising and overdelivering, they can look like a hero.
3. Pressure from Management and Internal Politics
Sometimes, sandbagging isn’t just an individual sales rep’s tactic—it’s a systemic issue encouraged by sales leaders who want to balance their numbers or avoid disappointing their own bosses.
4. Negotiation Leverage with Customers
Salespeople may also use sandbagging as a negotiation tactic. By appearing less eager to close, they can create a sense of urgency for the customer, potentially driving better pricing or contract terms.
The Ethical Dilemma of Sandbagging
While sandbagging might seem like a harmless strategic move, it presents ethical and operational risks:
- Misleading Internal Stakeholders – Sandbagging creates a false picture of the pipeline, affecting business decisions based on inaccurate data.
- Supply Chain and Inventory Issues – In industries where sales forecasts drive manufacturing or inventory planning, misleading forecasts can lead to overproduction or stock shortages.
- Erosion of Trust – If a sales manager or leadership team discovers sandbagging, it damages credibility and trust.
- Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Loss – While a rep may benefit from sandbagging in the short term, the overall organization suffers from unpredictable revenue patterns.
In publicly traded companies, inaccurate forecasting due to sandbagging could even have legal implications, as misleading revenue projections can affect shareholder decisions.
Winning Strategies to Prevent Sandbagging
Instead of allowing sandbagging to persist, organizations should take a proactive approach to creating an environment where transparency and ethical sales forecasting are valued.
1. Align Sales Compensation with Consistent Performance
If commissions and bonuses disproportionately reward short-term spikes, sales reps will find ways to manipulate their numbers. Instead, consider compensation structures that reward consistent performance across quarters rather than incentivizing end-of-period rushes.
2. Encourage Accurate Forecasting
Sales managers should foster a culture of honest forecasting rather than punishing reps for missing ambitious targets. When reps feel safe providing accurate forecasts without fear of retribution, sandbagging becomes less attractive.
Key questions managers should ask in forecast reviews:
- Is this opportunity well-qualified?
- What are the next concrete steps toward closing?
- What external factors could delay or accelerate this deal?
3. Separate Pipeline Reviews from Forecasting Reviews
Many organizations conflate pipeline reviews with forecasting, which leads to reps padding or withholding deals. Instead, maintain two distinct review processes:
- Pipeline Reviews focus on opportunity progression, qualification, and next steps.
- Forecasting Reviews focus on revenue prediction for the current reporting period.
By making this distinction, sales teams can be more honest about their pipeline without feeling pressure to manipulate numbers.
4. Use CRM and Data Analytics for Transparency
A well-managed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system helps mitigate sandbagging by providing objective visibility into deals. Modern CRM tools with AI-driven analytics can detect sandbagging patterns, such as deals that repeatedly get pushed into the next quarter.
5. Create a Coaching Culture Instead of a Pressure Culture
Sales managers should focus on coaching rather than just demanding results. If salespeople feel that their success is measured beyond just hitting quota, they’ll be less inclined to manipulate the system. Coaching should include:
- Regular check-ins on deal progression
- Support in handling customer objections and negotiations
- Training on long-term relationship building rather than short-term win strategies
6. Implement a Win-Loss Review Process
Understanding why deals are won or lost is critical for improving sales performance. A structured win-loss review helps:
- Identify common deal-closing obstacles
- Improve qualification criteria
- Ensure sales reps are focusing on the right opportunities
Conclusion: Build a Culture of Transparency, Not Sandbagging
Sandbagging is a symptom of deeper organizational issues, whether it’s poor sales compensation structures, unrealistic expectations, or an unhealthy pressure-driven culture. While it may provide short-term advantages to individual salespeople, it damages trust, data integrity, and long-term business planning.
By fostering a sales environment that values transparency, ethical forecasting, and performance consistency, organizations can eliminate the need for sandbagging and build a healthier, more sustainable sales culture.
Further Reading & Research:
Harvard Business Review “Fostering an Ethical Culture on Your Sales Team”
Simon Hazeldine Blog “Here Are The Five Keys To Maximising Your Sales People’s Performance”
If you’ve encountered sandbagging in your sales organization, how did you handle it? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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About the author
Simon Hazeldine works internationally as a revenue growth and sales performance speaker, consultant, and coach. He empowers his clients to get more sales, more often with more margin.
He has spoken in over thirty countries and his client list includes some of the world’s largest and most successful companies.
Simon has a master’s degree in psychology, is the bestselling author of ten books that have been endorsed by a host of business leaders including multi-billionaire business legend Michael Dell and is co-founder of leading sales podcast “The Sales Chat Show”.
He is the creator of the neuroscience based “Brain Friendly Selling”® methodology.
Simon Hazeldine’s books:
- Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success
- Bare Knuckle Selling
- Bare Knuckle Negotiating
- Bare Knuckle Customer Service
- The Inner Winner
- How To Lead Your Sales Team – Virtually and in Person
- Virtual Selling Success
- How To Manage Your People’s Performance
- How To Create Effective Employee Development Plans
- Virtual Negotiation Success
