What is sandbagging?
Sandbagging is a sales behavior where salespeople deliberately delay closing deals or underreport their pipeline to gain advantages in a later period. The term comes from "putting sandbags in the trunk" to hide capacity.
Sandbagging is typically a reaction to compensation structures that unintentionally create incentives for strategic timing of deals rather than quick closing.
Why do salespeople sandbag?
Typical reasons
- Quota already met: Salesperson has reached target and saves deals for next period
- Commission cap: Cap is reached, so additional sales aren't rewarded
- Accelerator timing: Waiting until next period to start fresh with accelerators
- Forecast manipulation: Underreporting to surprise positively
- Performance reviews: Keeping expectations low
Types of sandbagging
1. Deal sandbagging
Deliberate delay of deals ready to close:
- Asking customer to wait to sign
- Delaying pricing discussions
- "Forgetting" to send contract
2. Pipeline sandbagging
Underreporting deals in pipeline:
- Lower deal values than expected
- Pessimistic close dates
- Low confidence on deals that are actually certain
3. Quota sandbagging
Arguing for lower quotas during planning:
- Exaggerating market challenges
- Underreporting territory potential
- Focusing on risks rather than opportunities
Consequences of sandbagging
For the company
- Forecasting problems: Inaccurate projections complicate planning
- Cash flow: Delayed deals affect revenue stream
- Resource allocation: Wrong decisions based on dishonest data
- Culture: Can spread to the entire sales team
For the customer
- Delayed value from product/service
- Frustration over slow processes
- Potentially lost interest
How to prevent sandbagging
Compensation design
- Avoid commission caps: Remove incentive to stop
- Multi-period accelerators: Reward consistent performance over time
- Quarterly resets: Be aware of period boundaries
- Clear clawback rules: So deals can't be "timed"
Process and culture
- Pipeline audits: Regular review of deal status
- Forecast accuracy metrics: Measure and reward accurate forecasts
- CRM discipline: Require real-time updates
- Open communication: Discuss sandbagging openly
Incentive structures
- Bonus for early close (deal closed before expected)
- Penalty for forecast deviations
- Annual accelerators that reward consistent performance
Sandbagging vs. conservative forecasting
There's a difference between sandbagging and healthy conservatism:
- Conservative forecasting: Honest uncertainty about outcomes
- Sandbagging: Deliberate manipulation for personal gain
The difference is intent: The sandbagger knows the deal is certain but hides it.
Detecting sandbagging
Signs of potential sandbagging:
- Deals that consistently close earlier than forecast
- Larger deal values than reported
- "Hockey stick" pattern at period start
- High variance between forecast and actual
Related terms
- Commission cap: Commission ceiling that can promote sandbagging
- Quota: Sales target that can be manipulated
- Forecast accuracy: Measurement of forecast precision
- Pipeline: Overview of ongoing deals
Eliminate sandbagging with Prowi
The best way to eliminate sandbagging is to design compensation structures that remove the incentive. With Prowi, you can model different commission structures, identify potential sandbagging incentives, and create transparency that makes manipulation harder. Book a demo and see how Prowi can help you design sandbagging-resistant compensation plans.