Pipeline Stages & Daily Rhythm
This is how I'd hold the team accountable. Clear stage definitions so we forecast honestly, and a daily/weekly/monthly rhythm so activity compounds instead of drifting. I'd rather have a small pipeline I trust than a fat one I don't.
How I'd define each pipeline stage
One definition per stage. Written down. Same vocabulary across BDR, AE, and leadership. If we can't agree on what "Qualified Meeting" means, our forecast is fiction.
- Prospect
- In ICP, researched, pre-call prep complete. Not contacted yet.
- Engaged
- Multi-channel outreach in motion (call + email + LinkedIn). No two-way response yet.
- Qualified Meeting
- Discovery booked. Buyer confirmed pain on a real call. Next step set.
- Discovery
- 5–7 question discovery completed. Pain + impact named. Mutual problem statement confirmed.
- Solution Aligned
- Tailored demo run. Champion identified. Economic buyer engaged.
- Proposal
- Pricing, scope, success plan delivered. Verbal commit or procurement engaged.
- Closed-Won
- Signed. Kickoff scheduled within 5 business days.
The daily, weekly, monthly rhythm I'd hold
Activity has to compound. The rhythm is what makes a small team feel like a big one.
Daily
Per BDR: 25 outbound calls, 18 emails, 15 LinkedIn touches. One booked meeting per day at steady state. Stand-up at 8:30 to commit the day's named accounts. End-of-day note: what moved, what's stuck, one ask.
Weekly
Monday: pipeline review by stage with exit criteria spoken out loud. Wednesday: partnership review for anything involving 1,000+ athletes or a multi-club association. Friday: forecast call and one role-play on whichever objection is hitting hardest that week.
Monthly
Board-style review against the Chapter 07 plan: demos booked vs target, partners added, athletes onboarded, MRR vs forecast. One thing we'd change next month. One thing we'd stop doing.