Pipeline Diagnostics
Framework for assessing B2B sales pipeline health and identifying problems.
Pipeline Coverage
Minimum Coverage by Quarter Week:
| Week | Coverage Needed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 4x quota | Time to work deals |
| Week 5 | 3x quota | Deals maturing |
| Week 9 | 2x quota | Late-stage heavy |
| Week 13 | 1.2x quota | Commit deals |
Formula:
Coverage Ratio = Total Pipeline / Quota TargetStage Conversion Benchmarks
| Stage | Benchmark | If Below |
|---|---|---|
| Lead to Qualified | 30-40% | ICP targeting issue |
| Qualified to Discovery | 60-70% | Qualification criteria issue |
| Discovery to Demo | 50-60% | Discovery quality issue |
| Demo to Proposal | 40-50% | Demo effectiveness issue |
| Proposal to Closed | 30-40% | Negotiation/pricing issue |
Deal Velocity
Formula:
Sales Velocity = (Deals × Win Rate × ACV) / Sales Cycle
Higher velocity = more revenue, fasterImprovement Levers:
- More qualified opportunities (volume)
- Higher win rate (quality)
- Larger deal sizes (ACV)
- Shorter sales cycles (speed)
Stage Distribution Analysis
Healthy Pipeline Shape:
Stage 1 (Qualified): ████████████████████ 35%
Stage 2 (Discovery): ████████████████ 25%
Stage 3 (Demo): ████████████ 20%
Stage 4 (Proposal): ████████ 12%
Stage 5 (Negotiation): █████ 8%
Red Flags:
- Top-heavy: Too much early stage
- Bottom-heavy: Not enough new pipeline
- Middle stuck: Conversion problemAge Analysis
| Stage | Healthy Age | Stale Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified | 0-14 days | >21 days |
| Discovery | 7-21 days | >30 days |
| Demo | 14-30 days | >45 days |
| Proposal | 7-14 days | >21 days |
| Negotiation | 7-21 days | >30 days |
Stale Deal Actions:
- <7 days stale: Update and next steps
- 7-14 days stale: Manager review
- 14 days stale: Downgrade or close
Win/Loss Analysis
Win Analysis Questions:
- What was the trigger event?
- Who was the champion?
- What was the competitive situation?
- What value resonated most?
- How long was the sales cycle?
Loss Analysis Questions:
- What stage did we lose?
- Who made the decision?
- What was the stated reason?
- What was the real reason?
- What would we do differently?
Problem Diagnosis
Not Enough Pipeline
Symptoms:
- Coverage <3x in first half of quarter
- New pipeline creation slowing
- Deals closing without replacement
Solutions:
- Increase outbound activity 50%
- Run targeted campaign to ICP
- Re-engage closed-lost from 6+ months ago
- Ask for referrals from recent wins
- Partner-sourced pipeline push
Deals Stuck in Stage
Symptoms:
- Average age exceeds benchmark
- Same deals appearing in reviews
- No clear next steps
Solutions:
- Implement stage exit criteria
- Add "days in stage" to dashboards
- Manager review for stale deals
- Create urgency with limited-time offer
- Multi-thread to other stakeholders
Low Win Rate
Symptoms:
- Win rate <20%
- Losing to "no decision"
- Losing to specific competitor
Solutions:
- Tighten qualification criteria
- Improve discovery process
- Build champion enablement
- Create competitive battle cards
- Address pricing/packaging
Inaccurate Forecasts
Symptoms:
- Consistent over/under forecasting
- Deals slipping between periods
- Late-quarter surprises
Solutions:
- Define clear commit criteria
- Weekly deal-by-deal review
- Track forecast accuracy by rep
- Implement deal scoring
- Require close plan for commits