How long is too long?

That is such a great question on so many levels… In this case, I’m, thinking about how long is too long for an Opportunity to sit in the pipeline before raising red flags. The truth is the answer varies depending on the solution and market you are selling into. Most of my experience has been leading teams that sell complex technical solutions into major enterprise accounts. I’ll give you my too simple rule of thumb: Ninety days.

If I don’t see momentum in an Opportunity after ninety days in the pipeline, I begin to become concerned that the Opportunity is not real. Perhaps the Prospect is not ready; the solution isn’t the right fit; the Account Executive is padding their pipeline; or any number of other reasons. That’s not to say that this is a hard and fast rule. I recently had a deal with ABC resurface after two years of inactivity. Out of the blue. But that is by far the exception. All I’m suggesting is that you, as a sales leader, take a look at stagnant deals and ask tough questions about their progress:

• When was the Prospect last contacted?
• Have we identified and engaged all of the stakeholders (not just an executive sponsor)?
• What are the competing priorities?
• Has budget been allocated for the project?
• Has the Prospect settled on a solution to their challenge – is it your solution?
• What is the next step, and what is the timeline for that?
• What is the purchasing process and whois involved?
  • Where are you in that process?

Your Account Executives may feel defensive when you ask these questions. This isn’t about you trusting them to properly manage a sales cycle, it’s more about you normalizing the overall pipeline (some AEs are more optimistic than others) and providing the valuable service of an outsider’s view of progress. It has been my experience that after a few rounds of these types of questions, the pipeline begins to self-correct and become more accurate.

[Check out this sample pipeline report to get a sense of the metrics I track and review]