To maintain consistent sales, you need a steady inflow of new opportunities. If fewer opportunities enter the early stages, it may not impact sales immediately—but over time, this slowdown will ripple forward, leading to fewer deals closed in the future.
The pipeline view provides a visual snapshot of all ongoing sales opportunities. Opportunities enter from the left and move step-by-step to the right as they progress through each stage until they’re closed. This progression takes time—sometimes days, sometimes weeks.
It’s important to recognize what a healthy pipeline distribution looks like for your business. If the early stages are looking thin compared to your usual volume, it’s a sign you may be heading toward a sales dip. That’s the time to ramp up lead generation and opportunity discovery to restore momentum.
A quick note of caution: A steady pipeline doesn’t mean each stage should have the same number of opportunities. Some stages naturally take longer than others, so it’s normal to see more opportunities “piled up” in certain parts of the pipeline.
Instead of comparing one stage to another, compare each stage to what’s normal for your sales process. Look for deviations from your usual pattern—that’s where early warnings often show up.