Why CFOs Should Participate in Sales Calls

Should CFOs Join #Sales Calls? A Case for Strategic Involvement! The CFO’s role today goes much beyond controllership or key corporate finance projects. Being part of sales and marketing strategy discussions is essential to ensure that growth plans are in sync with the company’s financial goals and metrics. It’s not just about driving revenue, but making sure every sales or pricing decision strengthens profitability and long-term value. Whether a CFO should join customer calls really depends on the situation. In many cases, a quick discussion with the customer on pricing, payment terms, or risk can make all the difference - helping close deals faster while keeping financial discipline intact. It also builds mutual respect and stronger collaboration between finance and sales teams. Engaging with key customers gives the CFO a ground-level understanding of #market realities, #competition, and $customer expectations. These insights often help in shaping the company’s focus areas - be it investing in R&D, improving quality, or optimizing supply chains to stay competitive. A CFO, therefore, doesn’t just enable sales, they help steer it strategically towards sustainable growth.

Should a CFO be there in Sales Calls ? A CFO is a Strategic Thinker. He/She is to know the Pains (And Gains) of all the Functions. Unless he understands (And Feels) the Pains of all the Revenue Generators on the Fields, how can he Design the Solution for them ! Sales is not a mere Number. It's a Strategy in broad. Starting from Geographical Expansion, New Product Development, Ideal Product Mix, Schemes to Run, Balancing the Inventory, Procurement, Production with Sales Forecast, every where a CFO is to contribute. Hence, he/she is to understand all of these to a great extent. A CFO also needs to understand the expectation of Customers as well as the demand of the Suppliers. In my own life, I had liquidated piled up Inventories by framing Schemes, designed the Product Mix, had to frame Analysis for New Geographical Expansion or Shutting Down Stores to save more bleeding....! Once I learned from one of my Chairman, less Revenue is fine if the Bottom Line is higher. If a CFO is not doing (And Understanding) all these things, he is just a higher version of a Finance Controller

💡 Can Sales Solve Finance Issues? Absolutely. For too long, sales and finance have been seen as opposites: 💼 Finance protects the bottom line. 💬 Sales drives the top line. But in reality, strong sales can be the solution to many finance challenges. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Predictable Pipelines = Predictable Cash Flow When sales teams forecast accurately and close consistently, finance can plan better — stabilizing budgets, investments, and hiring decisions. 2️⃣ Healthy Margins Start in Sales Conversations Smart pricing, disciplined discounting, and value-based selling protect profitability long before an invoice ever hits accounting. 3️⃣ Customer Credit Risk Is a Sales Insight Sales has real-time knowledge of customer behavior. Sharing those insights early helps finance make smarter credit and payment decisions. 4️⃣ Cross-Functional Communication Prevents Surprises When sales and finance review deals together, the company wins — fewer last-minute escalations, cleaner books, and stronger relationships. 5️⃣ Revenue Quality Matters as Much as Quantity Sales that focuses on sustainable, recurring business builds long-term financial health — not just short-term spikes. 👉 Sales doesn’t just generate revenue. It creates financial stability. When sales and finance move in sync, growth becomes scalable — and sustainable. #SalesLeadership #Finance #B2B #Manufacturing #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #RevenueOperations #Profitability #FinancialHealth #SalesStrategy #OperationalExcellence #Teamwork #CrossFunctionalCollaboration #SustainableGrowth #sales

In the last few weeks, I have had several individuals in the sales space (freight forwarding) expressing their concerns about their workplaces. Here are some key highlights. CFO's or Directors telling their sales staff how to sell and what margins to offer - Yet they are not talking to new customers and seeing what the market is doing. Companies are trying to sell based on philosophies to existing clients they have. Operations staff are complaining about how hard some jobs are for some clients, and they only want to take on certain clients. The more people that get involved in the sales proccess who do not sell will sink a ship, i have seen it far to many times!

Dear Procurement, Stop looking for applause and start understanding why the business values you this way. Here is some insight: I’ve worked in sales and procurement and my experience is this: 1) no one cares about “Savings” if it doesn’t align with key business goals ie unlocking new markets, delivering better outcomes for clients. The hard truth (and I’ve learnt it) is that: A) savings work really well if they unlock another initiative B) but they are hard to track to the bottom line C) they often just cover off overspend in another department Therefore… business leaders don’t reward this because it doesn’t help them deliver what they have promised to stakeholders. 2) $100k sales might be the thin edge of the wedge in terms of customer lifetime value. If the business has growth targets, then this is highly aligned and it gets rewarded. So a reminder to myself (and others willing to listen): Look at the goals of the business, that phase are they in and how are your efforts aligned with the 1, 2 & 5 years plans. Not moving the needle = no reward. Just keeping the lights on - that is what they pay a salary for. Tell me I’m wrong…

This is a powerful and timely reflection — and you’ve framed it in a way that really exposes a hidden bias in corporate culture. You’re absolutely right: $100,000 saved ≠ $100,000 earned in perception, but in pure financial impact, it often equals or exceeds it. If any company has a 10% profit margin, you’d need $1,000,000 in new sales to generate $100,000 in profit. But if procurement saves $100,000, that is $100,000 in profit — instantly. In Short: A dollar saved is a dollar earned — but a dollar saved wisely is a dollar earned sustainably.

Working in a commercial department is never just about numbers — it’s about finding balance every single day. Balance between sales and profitability, customer needs and company policies, speed and accuracy, strategy and execution. One moment, you’re finalizing a project quote that could define your quarter; the next day, you’re dealing with a sudden raw material price hike or freight challenges that impact your pricing and deliveries — all while keeping an eye on the bigger picture. You need to think like a salesperson, act like a finance analyst, negotiate like a lawyer, and sometimes even calm storms like a therapist. 😅 But amidst the chaos, there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing all the moving parts come together — when the right pricing strategy secures a big project, when a process you improved starts showing results, or when your team celebrates a win they’ve worked hard for. 😇 It’s not an easy job, but it’s one that constantly pushes you to grow — to think sharper, communicate better, and lead with both logic and empathy. Here’s to everyone in the commercial world— cheers to keep the business wheels turning quietly in the background while ensuring the numbers make sense. 💪 #Commercial #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #SalesAndOperations #Teamwork #GrowthMindset

"You need to think like a salesperson, act like a finance analyst, negotiate like a lawyer, and sometimes even calm storms like a therapist. "

Over the last few months, I’ve developed a real interest in understanding the sales side of business. And once I stepped into that world, one thing became very clear: Sales doesn’t win alone. Operations doesn’t win alone. A business grows only when both move in sync. And the single factor that brings that sync? Forecasting. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 Think of forecasting as the map that guides the entire backend of a company. Without it, everyone is working hard — but nobody knows which direction to go. 𝐀 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: -> How much will customers order? -> When will they need it? -> What resources do we need to support that? -> Where will the bottlenecks appear? 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 — 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐖ℎ𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐖ℎ𝐞𝐧 𝐭ℎ𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 Let me explain with a simple real-world scenario many of us have faced: Sales expects a jump in demand and pushes for higher numbers. Operations, however, has planned material and capacity based on a different estimate. So what happens? Procurement is suddenly rushing to source material. Production tries to squeeze extra batches into an already full schedule. Logistics faces unplanned dispatch volumes. Inventory either piles up or crashes to zero. The result? Delays, cost overruns, customer frustration, and a lot of internal chaos. Not because teams aren’t capable — but because they weren’t aligned by a common forecast. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 A forecast isn’t just a number someone guesses. It affects everything: 1. Inventory Planning: Forecast accuracy decides how much stock we carry. Too high = excess inventory. Too low = shortages. 2. Procurement Efficiency: Lead times, MOQs, and vendor planning all depend on predictable demand. 3. Production Scheduling: Factories need stable plans. Every change creates downtime, loss, and extra cost. 4. Logistics Preparedness: Optimizing freight, planning dispatches, and avoiding last-minute loads all depend on knowing the volumes in advance. When forecasting is strong, every department runs smoother. When it’s weak, even the best teams struggle. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 A business doesn’t grow simply because sales are aggressive. It grows when: Sales understands what operations can deliver. Operations prepares for what sales intends to achieve. Both sides trust the forecast and work around it. That is where efficiency, cost savings, and customer satisfaction truly improve. 𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 — 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 #PLANNING #SCM #DEMAND #FORECAST

Sales and Finance: The Partnership That Drives Real Results Too often, sales and finance teams operate like they are on opposite sides of the table. Sales focuses on growth. Finance focuses on control. And somewhere in between, opportunities are lost. The best-performing organizations are the ones where sales and finance move in sync. When sales understands the financial drivers—margins, cash flow, and customer acquisition costs—they sell smarter. When finance understands the sales cycle and customer realities, they forecast better and support strategic growth instead of limiting it. It is not Sales versus Finance. It is Sales and Finance, building a business that is both profitable and predictable. If your sales and finance leaders are not aligned, you are leaving money and efficiency on the table. Align your incentives. Share your data. Build mutual respect for what each side contributes. That is how you turn revenue into results that last.