The sales cycle is 90 days. The median is 40.

An average sales cycle usually describes a deal that doesn't exist, and every forecast, quota ramp and pipeline valuation built on it inherits the error.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The sales cycle is 90 days. The median is 40.

A CRM reports the average sales cycle as 90 days. Sort the same closed-won deals by duration and the middle one took 40. Neither figure is wrong. They describe different things, and the gap between them tends to be where planning quietly goes astray, because the cash forecast, the quota ramp for a new hire, the decision about when a deal is dead and the calculation of acquisition payback are all built on one number that is assumed, without much examination, to describe a typical deal. The shape of the…

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