The pipeline is £2.4m. A third of it has no next meeting in the diary.

Deal stage is a matter of opinion. Whether something is booked in a calendar is not, and the gap between them explains most forecast misses.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The pipeline is £2.4m. A third of it has no next meeting in the diary.

Most pipeline reviews argue about the wrong column. The team debates whether a deal is at 50% or 70%, whether it should sit in “proposal” or “negotiation”, whether the value should be the full scope or the phase one figure. Meanwhile there is a far cheaper and far more reliable signal sitting in the same system, usually ignored: does this opportunity have a specific, dated next interaction with the buyer in someone’s calendar? When businesses run that test honestly, the answer is frequently uncomfortable. A meaningful slice of reported pipeline,…

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