Metrics to Improve Sales Pipeline Performance

Demand Capture 101. This is actual data from a $60MM ARR SaaS company. Let’s break it down 👇   How a lead/account enters your pipeline is the biggest predictor of sales velocity metrics - win rates, sales cycle lengths, even ACVs.    Because how they enter your pipeline is a surrogate for buying intent & indicator of how far they are complete in the buying process.    Here’s how to measure it & use it to drive your revenue strategy:   1. Measure the Opportunity Source in Salesforce on the opportunity record.    Campaign Source = What campaign type did they convert on to move this opportunity into pipeline? (e.g. demo request, e-book download, cold call, trade show, etc.)   Source / Channel = What source or channel did they come from in order to convert? (e.g. LinkedIn ad, organic search, account intent data, ZoomInfo, etc.)    Using both of these data points combined will literally guide your strategy.    This shows you the optimal paths to *capture demand* and is easily measurable using software-based attribution.   2. Separate conversion sources between *Declared Intent* and *Low Intent*.    Declared Intent = The buyer declares intent to buy from you (e.g. Demo Request, Contact Sales) Low Intent = You assume the buyer has intent based on their digital behavior (e.g. ebook download, webinar attendee, trade show badge scan, intent data, etc.)    3. Calculate core sales analytics between the two sources.    Calculate conversion rates, lead-to-win rate, net new ARR, sales velocity, and more.    4. Visualize how much conversion intent matters to sales velocity and sales productivity.    149X higher lead-to-win rates for declared intent conversions   Declared intent = 26 “leads” to win 1 deal for $54k ARR Low Intent = 3,868 “leads” to win 1 deal for $130k ARR   18X greater sales velocity for declared intent conversions   Declared intent = $14.2MM annual sales velocity Low intent = $781k annual sales velocity 5. Recognize not all MQLs are created equal Measuring on MQLs incentivizes teams to get the most volume of MQLs for the lowest cost (low intent conversions), which is entirely misaligned with sales productivity and sales goals. Separate these into two Pipeline Sources (Declared Intent, Low Intent). Plan and build your goals for these two sources separately.   __   Now you know exactly HOW you want buyers to enter pipeline (capture demand) for maximum sales velocity & sales team efficiency. You also know exactly WHY buyers choose to take those paths to enter pipeline & WHAT triggers / channels / tactics move them to conversion. And with all of these insights, you can re-architect your strategy that optimizes for REVENUE. #revenue #sales #marketing #b2b #gtm p.s. Every SaaS company’s data looks like this, because it’s universal to how buyers buy. Most just don’t take the 3 hours of time to analyze their own data and see it for themselves.

Follower count is vanity. Pipeline is sanity. Most companies measure LinkedIn success wrong. Here's what actually matters: Most companies focus on vanity metrics that don't predict revenue. Let's change that. VPs of Sales, Founders & Chief Revenue Officers care about one thing: pipeline. Here are the 6 metrics that actually correlate with revenue: (1) Inbound DM Quality Measure qualification rate and response-to-meeting conversion. Aim for 25% qualified, 40% conversion. (2) Engagement-to-Conversation Rate Track how many engagements turn into real conversations. Best performers see 10% conversion. (3) Outbound DM Quality Measure total response rate, positive response rate & meetings book. Aim for 30% total response rate, 25% positive response rate, 75% meetings converted. (4) Profile-to-Pipeline Velocity Measure time from first profile view to meeting booked. Target: 30 days or less. (5) 1st-Degree Connection Growth Monitor ICP penetration rate. Benchmark: 300 new 1st-degree connection growth in target accounts monthly. (6) Self-Reported Attribution Track "How did you hear about us?" on discovery calls. LinkedIn should account for 20%+. Tracking Framework: - Weekly: Monitor these 6 metrics - Monthly: Analyze trends - Quarterly: Forecast based on pipeline velocity ROI Validation: We helped a SaaS client generate $2.1M in pipeline in 90 days using this framework. LinkedIn was directly attributed to 32% of new opportunities. Common Mistakes: - Obsessing over followers - Focusing solely on post likes - Ignoring multi-touch attribution Here's what to do tomorrow: 1. Audit your current LinkedIn metrics 2. Implement these 6 revenue-predicting KPIs 3. Set benchmarks based on your sales cycle Shoot me a DM if you want to turn LinkedIn into a top revenue generator for your B2B company.

After 20 years managing global sales teams—gov, edu, enterprise, consumer—I’ve seen the same patterns of failure repeat. Here are the usual suspects: 🕵️ Witness Protection Program -Always “mid-deal” at a new job. Big logos in the pipeline, zero conversions. 🏈 The Hail Mary -One giant deal, always a month away from closing. Nothing else in the funnel. 🤝 Everybody Knows So-and-So -Endless industry connections. Can’t close. Relationships ≠ revenue. 📉 “I Can’t Sell This” Syndrome -Blames product or marketing. Often a rep who can’t articulate value or ask the right questions. 📦 I’ve Got Something to Sell You -Always pitching. Never partnering. Clients feel sold to, not served. 🗣️ The Conversation Hog -Talks 90% of the time. Never hears what the customer actually needs. ✨ Holiday Inn Express Hero -Confident, charming, but skips process. Confidence ≠ competence. What works? Process. Metrics. Discipline. 🏁 Track the right metrics: -Calls/emails sent -Meetings set/held -Stage-to-stage conversion rates -Time in stage / deal velocity -Pipeline coverage ratio (3–5x quota) -Forecast accuracy -Win % by stage 📊 Build a real process: -Define clear sales stages with entry/exit criteria -Use a consistent qualification framework (BANT, MEDDIC, etc.) -Conduct weekly pipeline reviews -Post-mortem every lost deal -Coach based on data—not vibes 🎯 Winning sales teams don’t guess—they inspect. And yes, after all this time, “The Little Red Book of Selling” still delivers more timeless sales truth than most courses out there. Sales isn’t magic. It’s measurable. #SalesLeadership #B2BSales #SalesProcess #CRM #SalesMetrics #SalesExecution #LittleRedBookOfSelling #PipelineManagement #SalesEnablement

Revenue leaders need both broad and deep data & insights to make better decisions. Here are the 9 crucial reports that Chief Revenue Officers rely on to drive predictable, scalable growth—and how to turn insights into action. 1️⃣ Revenue & Pipeline Forecast Expected revenue is how much in sales you expect to make in a given time period, while pipeline is the dollar amount of open opportunities in the same time period. 2️⃣ Revenue Contribution Breakdown This report breaks down the proportion of revenue from new business, renewals, and expansions, as well as the split between marketing-sourced and sales-sourced revenue. 3️⃣ Net Recurring Revenue Over Time NRR tells you if you are growing steadily, or if customers are cancelling/churning so quickly that it impacts your total business growth. 4️⃣ Pipeline Analysis & Breakdown Total pipeline is the sum of all opportunities in a given time period. Weighted pipeline is the dollar amount of the opportunities that have a high probability of closing. Healthy pipeline is the dollar amount of the minimum amount opportunities needed to close to hit revenue targets. 5️⃣ Average Deal Size by Segment This shows the mean sale price by customer bucket. 6️⃣ Win Rate by Segment Win rate is the percentage of deals you close versus lose in a given time period. This report shows win rate by various customer buckets. 7️⃣ Conversion Funnel Breakdown This visualizes lead progression through MQLs, SQLs, opportunities, and closed-won deals. A significant drop-off at any stage signals inefficiencies in lead qualification, sales execution, or marketing and sales alignment. 8️⃣ Renewal Rate Over Time This tracks renewal percentage trends throughout the year. A declining renewal rate highlights potential issues with customer satisfaction, competitive pressures, or pricing misalignment. 9️⃣ Revenue Efficiency Metrics A low LTV:CAC ratio indicates inefficient acquisition costs. A declining demo-to-close rate suggests qualification or sales execution gaps. A longer average time to close points to deal cycle inefficiencies that slow revenue growth. This is the foundation for revenue leadership that delivers results. Which reports do you agree with? What would you add? This diagram was created by me and the Revops genius, Jeff Ignacio. Big thanks to the revenue leaders who gave us direction on this diagram - Connor Fee Multi-CRO, Tess Baldwin CRO at SixFifty, Robert Livada CRO, and Steven Dunston CRO at StackMoxie. NOTE: This initially started with more marketing-related reports, however, we only included the top 9 in this exercise. Make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletters to keep leveling up your knowledge, search RevOps Impact Newsletter on Google for Jeff’s newsletter, and The Marketing Operations Leader for my newsletter. #marketing #martech #marketingoperations #revops #CRO

Revenue isn’t just about "more pipeline” — it’s about deal size, win rate, and sales length. It’s about levers, not luck. Enter the sales velocity equation: 💡 Sales Velocity = (# of Opps) × (Deal Value) × (Win Rate) ÷ (Sales Cycle Length) This isn’t just a formula—it’s a set of levers you can adjust to hit your goal. Need to increase revenue? You have options: - Bring in more qualified opportunities - Increase deal value, aka as average sales price (ASP) or annual contract value (ACV) - Increase win rate (% of qualified prospects that ultimately make a purchase) - Shorten the sales cycle Every input impacts the others. If win rate drops, you need more or bigger deals to compensate. If deal value increases, you need fewer deals—but cycles may slow down. And don’t just assume your pipeline coverage should be 3-5x. 🤯 Quick mind blowing tip: Your target pipeline coverage should be the inverse of your win rate! I remember being amazed at how useful this equation (100 / win rate = pipeline coverage target) was when I first learned it… years after I became responsible for a revenue team. - Win rate = 20%? You need 5x coverage. - Win rate = 50%? You only need 2x coverage. - Win rate = 10%? You need 10x coverage (and TBH, probably a GTM rethink). Before committing to hire more AEs or raise quotas, check your levers. Sales velocity isn’t just a number—it’s the foundation of a smart revenue plan. 👉 Which sales velocity lever is your company’s biggest constraint right now? Don’t know? That’s okay. Find some time this week to research or ask. This information is crucial to be a strong business partner to a sales organization.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲? Many sales and marketing leaders focus on metrics that matter to their individual teams. While tracking website traffic, lead volume, or pipeline velocity is common, have you stepped back to see how these numbers fit into your overall revenue engine? Below is a snapshot of the key metrics each function typically tracks—and the revenue engine metrics you should monitor together for a complete picture: 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀:  • 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: How quickly deals move through your funnel. Faster velocity means efficient conversion.   • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: The percentage of leads that turn into opportunities and closed deals.   • 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲 & 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: Indicators of deal quality and sales effectiveness. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀:  • 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 & 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Although often seen as vanity metrics, they offer a glimpse of initial interest.   • 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 & 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Focus on not just the number, but the qualification of leads (e.g., MQLs).   • 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 (𝗟𝗩𝗥): The growth rate of qualified leads, hinting at future sales potential.   • 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗥𝗢𝗜: Which campaigns are truly driving valuable leads and revenue. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀:  • 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: High retention and low churn show that your team is building lasting, profitable relationships.   • 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 & 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: Measure success in generating additional revenue from existing customers.   • 𝗡𝗣𝗦 & 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀: Gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿:  • 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Track the seamless movement from MQL to SQL to closed deal.   • 𝗖𝗔𝗖 𝘃𝘀. 𝗖𝗟𝗩: Compare the cost of acquiring customers with the revenue they generate over their lifetime.   • 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Assess how well customer data is shared and used across teams for smarter targeting and personalization. Shifting your focus from isolated metrics to these holistic KPIs gives you clarity on where your revenue engine excels—and where it needs improvement. Together, these indicators provide a comprehensive view of how effectively your organization drives sustainable revenue growth. Are you ready to break down silos and embrace a holistic view of your performance metrics -  to unlock the full potential of your revenue engine?

WHICH MARKETING TACTICS WILL HELP YOU HIT YOUR SALES GOAL? This is a common question I’m asked by organizations looking for help with their sales and marketing.   I often feel people are expecting and hoping I will respond with a one magic bullet. But, honestly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right strategy depends on many factors, like your growth stage, current performance, and Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and many other factors … one of which is WHAT IS YOUR PIPELINE VELOCITY? In other words: do you know how fast are leads moving through your sales pipeline? When crafting a marketing strategy to boost sales, understanding your pipeline velocity is crucial. It tells us how efficient your sales process is. Here is an example of how you would figure out what it is for your organization: ◆ Number of MQLs: 500 ◆ Conversion Rate from MQL to SQL: 20% (0.20) ◆ Win Rate: 30% (0.30) ◆ Average Deal Size: $10,000 ◆ Average Sales Cycle Length: 60 days Pipeline Velocity = 500 MQLs × 0.20 conversion to SQLs × 0.30 win rate × $10,000 ACV divided by 60 day sales cycle = $5,000 🏋So, the pipeline velocity is $5,000 per day in this example. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This formula helps you understand how quickly potential revenue is moving through your sales pipeline, providing a clear picture of your sales process efficiency and potential revenue generation. By using these metrics and methods, marketers (and founders) can effectively measure and report pipeline velocity, providing valuable insights where in the sales funnel you can be optimizing your marketing efforts. LET’s DISCUSS! 1- Have you been measuring pipeline velocity as a part of your marketing metrics? 2- What’s one key marketing metric you’re focusing on to increase your pipeline velocity? 3- What are your favorite tools to help you monitor and identify areas of improvement? Join the conversation and share your thoughts below. #SaaSGrowth #PipelineVelocity #B2BMarketing