Deals Die Here

Tired of “hockey-stick” forecasts that never materialize? In this video I show founders and CEOs the weekly pipeline review that drives real-world forecast accuracy, eliminates pipeline bloat, and accelerates deal velocity. After bootstrapping and scaling sales teams for 22 years, I learned one truth: pipeline discipline beats heroic closing every time. You’ll discover how to score opportunity stages, enforce buyer-side actions, and update close dates so your cash-flow projections finally match reality. Whether you run a founder-led sales operation or manage reps as a fractional VP of Sales, this simple cadence will give you crystal-clear visibility, stronger sales management, and the confidence to step back from day-to-day selling. We’ll cover: • Setting a 15-minute Monday review • Using stage gates in HubSpot or Salesforce • Calculating win probabilities that actually hit • Coaching reps on deal integrity Stop letting “likely” deals wreck your quarter. Embrace pipeline integrity and watch revenue grow. Biggest Takeaways 1. Establish a Weekly Discipline: One of the most effective habits for founders and sales leaders is to implement a consistent weekly pipeline review. This routine provides structure for the business and ensures that sales activity remains a top priority. 2. Master Cash Flow Forecasting: A well-maintained and reviewed pipeline serves as a reliable roadmap for your business's finances. It allows leaders to accurately forecast incoming cash flow, providing the clarity needed to make informed operational decisions. 3. Prioritize Pipeline Integrity: Prospects should only move to the next stage of the pipeline based on specific, completed actions (like finishing a demo or meeting qualification criteria). Maintaining accurate dates, percentages, and stages is essential for the data to be useful for management. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. Why is a weekly pipeline review important for sales leaders? It serves two primary functions: it allows leadership to forecast cash flow accurately and it keeps salespeople on track by helping them manage multiple accounts, deadlines, and opportunity values effectively. 2. How does a pipeline review help individual salespeople? It provides a structured way for them to keep track of due tasks, monitor the value of their various opportunities, and generally manage their personal "book of business" with greater precision. 3. What does "pipeline integrity" mean? Pipeline integrity refers to the accuracy and honesty of the data within your sales funnel. This means every prospect’s position is based on objective actions they have taken, rather than just a salesperson's "gut feeling" or optimism. 4. When should a prospect move to a new stage in the pipeline? Prospects must "earn" their way to the next stage through verifiable actions. For example, in a software company, a lead shouldn't advance until they have actually completed a demo and been officially qualified. 5. What specific data points need to be accurate in the pipeline? To manage the business effectively, you must ensure that the expected closing dates are realistic, the probability percentages are correct, and the current stage of the deal is accurately reflected.