A sales pipeline is an overview of open opportunities divided by the stage they are in. Its value stands or falls on how up to date the data is. A common state of affairs in companies is a pipeline inflated with opportunities that have not moved for months, which distorts revenue forecasting as well as capacity decisions. Hygiene means a few simple rules: each stage has a definition of when an opportunity belongs in it, and it is not a matter of the salesperson's feeling. Every open opportunity has an agreed next step with a deadline; if it does not, it should be closed. Opportunities with no movement over a set period are reassessed or closed. And when an opportunity is closed, the reason for the outcome is always recorded. Without these rules, the pipeline is a wish list.
See also: Reasons for Losing a Deal, Lead qualification, KPIs for a marketer.
