CREATING A PREDICTABLE AND RELIABLE PIPELINE
Gartner defines the sales pipeline as a tool for converting leads into sales. It provides sales leaders with a visual representation of the different stages of the sales process, such as the point at which a prospect becomes a qualified lead, or when salespeople should follow up with a lead.
Because every company’s sales pipeline is different, depending on internal factors and their business sector, designing and building a reliable and predictable pipeline requires much client research and the ongoing crunching of data. The stages of your sales pipeline should match your prospects’ buying journey to help you effectively track their progress and predict revenue.
Over the last few decades, with the advent of the digital era, this B2B buying journey has become more complex. It has given rise to several new stages in the buying process that has influenced identifying business needs, researching solutions, and evaluating and analyzing options before making a final decision.