Definition
Deal age is how long a deal has been in pipeline since creation. It helps identify stalls and slippage risk.
Formula
Deal age = today - opportunity created date
Example
A deal created 45 days ago has a deal age of 45 days.
How to use it
- Compare deal age to average sales cycle by segment.
- Use age thresholds to trigger cleanup or requalification.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring stage-level age, which can be more diagnostic.
- Resetting close dates without resolving blockers.
Why this matters
This term matters because small changes compound in SaaS metrics. Use consistent definitions by cohort and segment so you can diagnose retention, payback, and growth quality.
Practical checklist
- Write a 1-line definition for "Deal Age" that your team will use consistently.
- Keep the time window consistent (weekly/monthly/quarterly) when comparing trends.
- Segment results (channel/plan/cohort) before drawing big conclusions from blended averages.
- Sanity-check with a related calculator from the same category on MetricKit.
- Read the related guide (e.g., Sales ops metrics hub: quota, pipeline, win rate, and capacity planning) for context and common pitfalls.
Where to use this on MetricKit
Calculators
- Burn Multiple Calculator: Calculate burn multiple: net burn / net new ARR (a growth efficiency metric).
- Unit Economics Calculator: Model CAC, payback, LTV, and LTV:CAC together from ARPA, gross margin, and churn.
- Bookings vs ARR Calculator: Compare bookings vs ARR (and cash) for a contract with term length and one-time fees.
- SaaS Magic Number Calculator: SaaS Magic Number definition and calculation using net new ARR and prior-period sales & marketing spend.
- Customer Lifetime Calculator: Estimate customer lifetime (months) from monthly churn rate (a simple approximation).
Guides
- Sales ops metrics hub: quota, pipeline, win rate, and capacity planning: A practical hub for sales ops planning: quota attainment, pipeline coverage, required pipeline, sales capacity with ramp, and OTE math.
- Pipeline coverage and sales cycle math: set realistic targets (and avoid sandbagging): A practical guide to pipeline coverage: connect quota, win rate, sales cycle length, and CAC/payback constraints to set realistic growth targets.