The Q4 Sales Checklist: 90 Days to Hit Target

We've developed this essential checklist to help you nail your sales-related actions and ensure a strong finish. Before you dive in, check out our recent blog on how to approach the Q4 closing season value-first, rather than relying on end-of-year discounts. (That post also ties into the qualification and discovery topics we’ve primarily covered throughout 2025.)

Start Q4 Strong: The Launch Pad

Before the clock even ticks over into October, or immediately as the quarter launches, your primary mission is to instil clarity and focus. Q4’s success is primarily determined by the tempo you set in the first two weeks. A strong start means creating an unshakeable foundation of intelligence and targets for your team’s upcoming sprint.

Q4’s success is primarily determined by the tempo you set in the first two weeks.

• Inspect your team's entire pipeline, identify must-win opportunities, and create a sales forecast (so you understand where you start from...)
• Compare the forecast to your sales budget (... and know how big a bridge you need to cross).
• Break down the team target (set granular milestones on what you need to achieve in terms of generating and closing the pipeline).
• Identify and target upsell and cross-sell opportunities (find the fastest path to revenue and guide your reps there).
• Get ready to leverage year-end budget cycles (help your sales team spot and take advantage of these opportunities).

This initial planning is the fuel for your Q4. With targets clearly broken down and immediate, high-probability revenue sources identified, your team can start the sprint with confidence and a clear roadmap. Don’t forget that final, critical planning piece: booking the Q1 sales kick-off now prevents a chaotic, last-minute scramble in December when your attention needs to be solely on closing.

Do These Things Continuously: Building Momentum

Momentum isn't built in a day; it’s the result of continuous, disciplined activity. Your role as a leader shifts from planning to coaching and protection throughout October and November. Consistent execution of these fundamentals is the best insurance against surprises and the most effective way to keep your team laser-focused on the deals that matter.

Your role as a leader shifts from planning to coaching and protection throughout October and November.

• Run pipeline reviews (focus on whether the reps have identified clear pain to solve and correct opportunity prioritisation by reps)
• Hold one-to-one coaching sessions on must-win opportunities (help reps overcome obstacles and derisk important deals).
• Protect the team’s selling time by neutralising blockers (protect your team from time sinks, whether they are from internal or external sources).
• Keep documenting key Q4 lessons learned (these help you spot trends to benefit from, repeated hindrances to remove, and provide tools for winning in the long term)
• Celebrate every single win publicly (so morale and motivation keep climbing).

By consistently coaching and removing friction, you not only improve closing rates but also elevate team morale. Every public win celebration acts as a psychological boost, reinforcing the successful behaviours you want to see repeated right up to the end-of-year deadline. This commitment to cadence is what separates good quarters from great ones.

Check Progress Halfway Through: The Final Push

You've reached the halfway mark, and the final push is now inevitable. Around the six-week point, it's time to transition into the most aggressive phase of the quarter. Your most valuable activity now is acting as a chief friction remover for both your reps and their buyers. This means stepping back from the day-to-day to analyse the data and prepare for the December negotiation period.

Your most valuable activity now is acting as a chief friction remover for both your reps and their buyers.

• Use the data from the first six weeks to double down on what’s working and fix or drop what isn’t.
• Plan your final offer strategy, set rules beforehand and know your negotiation levers. (That is if you are okay with discounting in December).
• Ensure you have sufficient white space in the calendar to jump in and help with any opportunity whenever needed.
• As you continually follow the progress through pipeline reviews and coaching, we do not list tasks such as updating your forecast or checking the status of must-wins here.

Entering the final weeks, every deal requires executive attention. Your ability to jump in personally and de-risk must-win opportunities, as well as neutralise buyer friction, will be the deciding factor in hitting the annual sales target.