Commercial Strategy: How to Adjust Course to End the Year Strong

The second half of the year is often decisive for sales teams. Goals that seemed achievable in January may become uncertain by mid-year, especially in volatile economic contexts, with more cautious consumers and tighter budgets.

In this scenario, commercial leadership has the responsibility to read the present with sharpness and make quick, accurate decisions. It’s not about improvising, but about adapting the original plan to the business’s actual performance. This involves auditing the sales funnel, redefining segmentations, adjusting the forecast, and refocusing available resources.

Reviewing and correcting the course in time can make the difference between closing the year with solid results or falling short of the objectives.

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Funnel Review: Detect Bottlenecks and Redefine Priorities

The first step to adjusting the commercial direction is to conduct a thorough audit of the sales funnel. This does not simply mean reviewing how many leads entered and how many converted, but understanding how each stage of the commercial process is performing.

Many times, a drop in sales is not only due to decreased demand, but also to internal bottlenecks: inconsistent follow-ups, poorly qualified opportunities, overly long closing cycles, or efforts spread thin over low-viability accounts.

At this stage, it is essential for commercial leadership to work hand in hand with sales and marketing teams to analyze lead quality, the effectiveness of sales pitches, conversion rates by channel, and the critical points where opportunities are lost.

A clear example can be seen in B2B companies that generate a good number of leads but struggle to move them toward closing. In such cases, the problem lies not in lead generation, but in follow-up or the value proposition. In contrast, in retail, bottlenecks are often linked to seasonality, unappealing promotions, or price adjustments that affect product perception.

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Redefining Segmentations: Less Dispersion, More Focus

Over time, many sales departments tend to broaden their target segments without a clear strategy. This creates dispersion and complicates efficient execution. That’s why another key step in adjusting commercial performance in the second half of the year is to redefine segmentations and prioritize the customer profiles with real closing potential.

Instead of chasing every possible opportunity, it’s more effective to refocus efforts on key accounts or high-conversion niches. Sometimes this means letting go of segments that looked promising in the original plan but have shown little traction in practice.

This exercise requires accurate, up-to-date information: conversion rate by customer type, average ticket size, buying cycle, and profitability per segment. From these data, new approach priorities can be built.

For example, in a B2B software company, it may be identified that small businesses require a lot of sales effort and convert little, while medium-sized clients, though fewer in number, generate greater value with less friction. In that case, the strategy should shift toward specialization and deeper focus on those profiles.

Adjusting the Forecast: Realism, Not Resignation

Once the funnel has been reviewed and segments refocused, the next step—crucial but often uncomfortable—is to adjust the forecast. Many commercial leaders avoid this step for fear of “accepting” lower results. However, the forecast is not a static prediction but a living tool that enables better decision-making.

It’s not about giving up, but about realistically projecting what is achievable with the current resources, timelines, and conditions. This aligns expectations, prioritizes efforts, and prevents the frustration of chasing impossible goals.

Additionally, an adjusted forecast can be used to negotiate with other company areas—such as operations, finance, or marketing—about what’s needed to boost year-end results: more budget, specific campaigns, support tools, training, or optimization of internal processes.

In highly seasonal businesses, such as retail, it is especially important to identify which actions can be intensified in the last quarter. What promotions worked last year? Which products had higher turnover? Which channels delivered better traction? A good forecast must incorporate these lessons to anticipate with strategy.

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Refocusing Resources: Less Is More

Adjusting course also involves making difficult decisions: what to stop doing and what to stop betting on. In a challenging commercial environment, efficiency becomes more valuable than expansion.

It’s time to scrutinize available resources: How much of the sales team’s time is being spent on accounts that don’t move forward? What budget is tied to campaigns that aren’t generating quality leads? Which tools could automate operational tasks and free up time for closing deals?

Refocusing doesn’t always require more investment, but rather better choices. In some cases, it means reassigning salespeople to strategic accounts. In others, simplifying the commercial proposal to speed up closing. It may also mean cutting spending on low-performing channels and reinforcing those with proven results.

Possible Scenarios and Agile Responses

Not all companies face the second half of the year under the same conditions. Some experience a sustained drop in demand, others are impacted by seasonality, and some must deal with pricing policy changes or competitive shifts in the market.

Each scenario requires a different adjustment:

• Low demand: Focus on retaining existing customers, strengthening perceived value, and differentiating with unique offerings.
• Seasonality: Design targeted promotions, anticipate key dates, and ensure product or service availability.
• Pricing challenges: Build stronger sales arguments, add more value to the offer, or explore financing schemes.

In all cases, commercial leadership must keep agility as a guiding principle. The faster deviations are detected and the clearer the decision-making, the greater the chances of turning around a weak quarter and closing the year with focus and results.

Adjusting the Course with the Future in Mind

Mid-year commercial adjustments are not a sign of weakness but of strategic maturity. In times when planning is constantly tested, commercial leaders who honestly review their processes and act with agility make the difference.

Auditing the funnel, redefining segmentations, adjusting the forecast, and refocusing resources not only enables a stronger year-end but also lays the foundation for the next. Because in business, adapting in time is not a competitive advantage—it’s a necessity.