The gap between sales targets and the confidence of the sales team is widening with over half of sales leaders not confident they will make the targets set for the coming year.

Confidence within sales departments has dropped significantly this year, from 91% to 64%.

The immense pressure the sales teams are under continues to build as 70% of sales professionals believe the target sales for next year will “skyrocket”.

The annual study published by global sales transformation company, The Synergy Group, said the lack in confidence suggests company visions and sales strategy executions are not aligned.

“While sales targets are being stretched, sales professionals are experiencing cuts, and customers are tightening their spending,” Katherine Edgar, CEO of The Synergy Group, said.

“The burning question for any business today is how to get new sales.”

The report found that more than a quarter of the companies failed to meet their sale targets for 2013 with 34% only just managing to meet what was set.