In this episode, we take a practical look at how to assess the true health of your sales pipeline. It’s a topic that frequently arises in client conversations, especially during due diligence, forecasting, or periods of commercial strain. Yet, many businesses still rely on surface-level metrics or default CRM settings. So we share the tools and thinking we use to dig deeper into: what's really driving pipeline performance?By exploring concepts like data hygiene, deal velocity, and the importance of accurate forecasting, we highlight where typical sales metrics fall short and what to use instead. Whether you're managing a small sales team or scaling a more complex operation, we offer a set of insights and calculations that will help you understand your pipeline more clearly, act more deliberately, and forecast with greater confidence.Chapters:00:00:00 – Intro & Rotisserie Chickens00:04:10 – Episode Focus: How Healthy Is Your Sales Pipeline?00:06:30 – Data Hygiene: The Foundation of Pipeline Health00:09:10 – What Should You Measure First?00:11:30 – The Problem with the “3x Pipeline” Rule00:14:20 – The Correct Pipeline Cover Formula Explained00:17:05 – Forecast Accuracy and Probability Weighting00:20:10 – Sales Velocity vs. Value Added00:23:00 – Stalled Deals & Activity Flags00:26:40 – Redesigning Pipeline Stages Around the Customer00:29:00 – Win Rates by Segment and Deal Type00:32:00 – Deal Concentration Risk00:34:00 – Front-of-Pipeline Health & New Logo Acquisition00:35:30 – Final Thoughts: Continuous Measurement & Improvement00:36:50 – Outro: Future Topics & Podcast Wrap-UpKey Topics Discussed:Why data hygiene is the foundation of any meaningful pipeline metricThe problem with universal “3x pipeline” rules, and what to do insteadHow to calculate true pipeline cover using weighted values and sales cycle lengthThe importance of forecast accuracy and how to spot over-optimismReframing your pipeline from the customer's perspective to identify bottlenecksWho This Podcast Is For:This episode is designed for business owners, sales leaders, and commercial managers in growing SMEs. If you're responsible for driving revenue and making decisions based on pipeline data, this is a must-listen.Quotes to Remember:“You’ve got to measure the health of your pipeline in the context of the health of your system.”“Know your data intimately, the goal is to be able to talk about it almost fluently.”“If you’re just selling what’s already in your pipeline and not replacing it, it’s not been a good month.”Top Takeaways: Audit your CRM for data hygiene- make sure every deal has a value, an expected close date, and is linked to a contact and company. Calculate weighted pipeline value and average deal length to assess whether you have enough activity to hit your annual sales target. Find the Formula Here:Pipeline Coverage (%) = (Weighted Pipeline Value × Churn Rate) ÷ Annual Sales Target × 100 Review forecast accuracy and correct optimism bias- compare forecasted win probabilities to actual results. Reframe pipeline stages based on what the customer is doing, i.e., reviewing, considering, deciding, to better align with their journey. Segment win rates across deal size, salespeople, sectors, and customer types, to spot patterns, allocate effort more effectively, and refine targeting.Follow for weekly episodes on growth, marketing, and making smart business decisions.Got feedback or questions? Drop a comment below – we read them all!If you are interested in what Wellmeadow does, head to our website: We deliver board support and HubSpot consultancy & implementationFollow The SME Growth podcast:YouTube:The SME Growth Podcast by Wellmeadow - YouTubeApple Music: The SME Growth Podcast by Wellmeadow - Podcast - Apple PodcastsAll other available platforms: The SME Growth Podcast by Wellmeadow • A podcast on Spotify for Creators

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