Definition
Sales pipeline is the set of open opportunities expected to close, usually tracked by stage, amount, and expected close date.
How to use it
- Use pipeline coverage to plan quota and hiring.
- Track conversion rates by stage to forecast more accurately.
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 "Sales Pipeline" 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.
- Use a calculator that references this term (e.g., Quota Attainment Calculator) to sanity-check assumptions.
- Read the related guide (e.g., Quota attainment: formulas, pacing, and how to forecast safely) for context and common pitfalls.
Where to use this on MetricKit
Calculators
- Quota Attainment Calculator: Calculate quota attainment and pacing from booked revenue to date, quota, and days elapsed in the period.
- Pipeline Coverage Calculator: Compute pipeline coverage ratio and expected bookings from pipeline and win rate.
- Required Pipeline Calculator: Estimate how much pipeline (and how many opportunities) you need to hit a revenue target given win rate and average deal size.
- Sales Capacity Calculator (with Ramp): Estimate period bookings capacity from team size, quota per rep, expected attainment, and ramped vs ramping mix.
- Sales Funnel Targets Calculator: Translate a revenue target into required wins, opportunities, SQLs, MQLs, and leads using funnel conversion rates.
Guides
- Quota attainment: formulas, pacing, and how to forecast safely: Learn how to calculate quota attainment and pacing, how to interpret projections, and what to pair it with (pipeline coverage, win rate).
- Pipeline coverage: what it is, how to calculate it, and benchmarks: Pipeline coverage explained: pipeline / quota, how win rate translates to required coverage, and how to avoid inflated pipeline.
- Required pipeline: how much pipeline (and how many deals) you need: Translate a revenue target into required pipeline dollars, wins, and opportunities using win rate and average deal size.
- Sales capacity planning: quota, attainment, ramp, and what to watch: A practical guide to sales capacity: estimate bookings capacity using headcount, quota, expected attainment, and ramped vs ramping mix.
- Sales funnel targets: leads -> MQL -> SQL -> opp -> win (how to plan): A practical guide to back-solving funnel volume targets from a revenue goal using conversion rates and average deal size.