deal pipeline · opportunity portfolio
The sales pipeline is the organized list of your open opportunities, from first inquiry to signature: every deal has a status (contacted, quote sent, negotiation, won, lost), an amount, a probability and a dated next action. It is the tool that keeps deals from dying in silence.
The formula
A concrete example
Twelve open quotes worth $102,000 in total; weighted by their probabilities, they forecast $36,000. That number, tracked weekly, tells you whether next month will be good before it arrives.
Why it matters
Without a visible pipeline, follow-up depends on memory and forecasts on gut feeling. With one, every deal has an owner and a deadline, the weighted value gives a revenue forecast, and the close rate by channel reveals where to invest. A well-kept spreadsheet is enough to start.
Frequently asked questions
- Which statuses should I use?
- Few, and unambiguous: new, contacted, quote sent, negotiation, won, lost. Each status must trigger a clear behaviour. Beyond seven statuses, nobody keeps them up to date.
- Pipeline or funnel, what is the difference?
- The funnel describes the typical journey in aggregate volumes (100 leads give 25 quotes then 8 customers); the pipeline tracks each deal by name, with its amount and next action. The funnel analyzes, the pipeline drives daily action.