How to Use Forcing Functions to Level Up Your Sales Productivity
One of the most underrated concepts that’s shaped how I operate and sell is the forcing function.
If you’ve never heard the phrase before, don’t worry. It’s not something your sales trainer or manager is likely covering as part of your enablement.
I first picked it up in Jason Lemkin and Aaron Ross’s book From Impossible to Inevitable and later saw it again in Josh Kaufman’s Personal MBA.
What’s a Forcing Function?
In simple terms: a forcing function is any process or constraint that forces you to make a decision, take an action, or deliver something within a set timeframe.
Deadlines, quarterly reviews, trial expirations, and project milestones are all classic examples. They create urgency where none exists. They cut off your ability to procrastinate, analyze forever, or hide behind “still researching.”
Without a forcing function, progress tends to stall. With one in place, you're forced to move.
Why Sales Players Need Them
In software sales, time kills deals. But let’s be honest: time also kills your productivity if you let it.
We all know how easy it is to get stuck in research mode or go down a rabbit hole with one prospect while ignoring the rest of your account list.
A forcing function puts a deadline on your behavior so that you can’t hide. It removes the illusion of endless options and forces you to ship something.
An Example in Action
Here’s one I’ve used myself:
Say I want to go broad and deep across my top 10 accounts before the end of September. I could just keep “working on it” and let other priorities creep in.
Instead, I proactively book a 60-minute business review with my manager on September 30th.
I tell him/her up front: “I’ll have touched every one of my top 10 accounts by then, and I’ll walk you through my progress.”
Now the work has a natural forcing function. I can’t show up empty-handed. I can’t rely on excuses. I’ve got a deadline, and there’s some accountability attached.
That small action completely changes my workflow. It forces breadth and depth instead of just circling the same two accounts over and over.
Where You Can Apply This
Forcing functions don’t just work with managers, they work with prospects and customers too:
- Pipeline building: Book a discovery session in advance, then work backward to ensure you’ve got the right insights to bring.
- Deals in motion: Schedule an exec-to-exec call two weeks out. That call now becomes the anchor to drive internal alignment.
- Personal development: Sign up to present a case study in your next team meeting. You’ll force yourself to actually do the deep work instead of letting it slide.
The Bottom Line
Most sellers struggle with lag because they can. No one’s forcing them to prospect, follow up, or sharpen their craft.
By deliberately building forcing functions into your workflow, you take away the drift and replace it with movement.
If you feel stuck, don’t wait for your sales leader to have to push you. Create your own forcing functions. Put deadlines on the calendar. Tell someone what you’ll deliver. Then go make it happen.
That’s how you move from "in progress" to shipped.
-Jesse
P.S. Feeling stuck? I offer 1:1 coaching sessions for sellers who want more pipeline and bigger commission checks.
Hit reply or schedule an intro call to learn more.