In today’s highly competitive business environment, building a billion-dollar pipeline might sound like a daunting task, but it is achievable with the right mindset and approach. 

As a sales professional, you might be familiar with the traditional approach to building a pipeline,

1. Looking at all the white space and adding it to the CRM. We look at what’s not consumed by the customer, add that to the pipeline and it balloons.
2. Guessing the needs of your customer. Collecting all of these, maybe on sticky notes and adding it to the pipeline. 

However, these approaches lack one crucial element – the customer.

Account planning without customer validation is hallucination.

We have to start looking at a new way to grow your pipeline that revolves around the needs of your customer. 

If this resonates with you, 

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The first key is,

#1: Focus on Customer Outcomes

The first strategy to building a billion-dollar pipeline is to focus on customer outcomes. 

As you think about your customers, consider how you can help them grow, cut costs, decrease risks, increase share, and innovate. 

Connect the dots between your products and services and the outcomes your customers want to achieve. 

This ability to think outside-in, to think customer-first, and to think about customer outcomes is crucial.

You have to shift from a sale first approach to a customer first approach. 

#2: Risk Mitigation

Your customer’s risk is your opportunity in disguise.

When it comes to discussing customer risks, it is essential to establish a container of safety and trust with your client. 

This trust enables customers to feel comfortable and confident in your presence and believe that the hard conversations you’re having are for their success. 

Your intent should translate into empathy, where your customer feels that you’re part of the journey as you look at mitigating those risks. 

It’s not just about rationally understanding the risks but emotionally connecting with the customer and making sure they feel comfortable sharing and monetizing the impact of those risks.

#3: Partner with your Customer

The last element of building a billion-dollar pipeline is to start working alongside your customer. 

Develop a joint action plan, a mutual account plan, and a multi-horizon plan with specific goals, strategies, metrics, measures, and milestones that both parties sign up to. 

When the customer is alongside you on the journey, the ability to achieve more is heightened and tightened. 

It’s not just one stakeholder for your customer; it’s a set of stakeholders with whom you need to validate and triangulate your focus.

These strategies were implemented when our team worked with a Fortune 100 client with the aspiration of becoming the best subsidiary or market unit in the world. 

This investment in building a billion-dollar pipeline helped them to rigorously qualify and progress the pipeline for the rest of the year. 

The result was that they achieved the best subsidiary and market unit of the year, which was a coveted accomplishment.

Building a billion-dollar pipeline is achievable with the right approach and mindset. 

Focus on customer outcomes, handle customer risks sensitively, and work alongside your customers to develop a joint plan. 

By implementing these strategies, you can create a pipeline that not only generates revenue but also creates long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with your customers.

Next Step 

Subscribe to the CXO Sales Playbook Newsletter.

Every Friday morning, I’ll email you 1 actionable tip to get your sales teams to overdeliver. (other benefits include a big bonus and company-wide recognition :).