10 Sales Pipeline Reports Every Sales Leader Needs
Mar 5, 2025
Mar 5, 2025
Alex Zlotko
CEO at Forecastio
Last updated
Mar 5, 2025
Reading time
9 min
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Table of Contents
Quick Take
Quick Take
Track these five essential stages: Demo, Proposal, Negotiations, Contracting, and Closed.
Use ten key reports to gain visibility, including Pipeline Value, Conversion Rates, and Risky Deals.
Calculate ideal pipeline coverage by dividing sales targets by win rate (example: $1M target ÷ 25% win rate = $4M needed pipeline).
Watch for six common issues: stalled deals, low conversions, big-deal dependency, unqualified leads, insufficient coverage, and data inaccuracy.
Regular pipeline reviews help prevent revenue leakage, improve forecasting accuracy, and optimize team performance.
Strong pipeline management ultimately yields predictable growth and higher win rates.
Track these five essential stages: Demo, Proposal, Negotiations, Contracting, and Closed.
Use ten key reports to gain visibility, including Pipeline Value, Conversion Rates, and Risky Deals.
Calculate ideal pipeline coverage by dividing sales targets by win rate (example: $1M target ÷ 25% win rate = $4M needed pipeline).
Watch for six common issues: stalled deals, low conversions, big-deal dependency, unqualified leads, insufficient coverage, and data inaccuracy.
Regular pipeline reviews help prevent revenue leakage, improve forecasting accuracy, and optimize team performance.
Strong pipeline management ultimately yields predictable growth and higher win rates.
Introduction
A well-structured sales pipeline is the backbone of revenue generation in B2B sales. However, simply having a company’s sales pipeline is not enough—analyzing it effectively is what separates successful teams from those struggling with inconsistent results.
Sales managers and RevOps professionals must regularly conduct sales pipeline reviews, track key metrics, and generate sales pipeline reports to gain visibility into deals progress, identify risks, and optimize the sales process. By leveraging insightful pipeline reports, businesses can set realistic sales targets, enhance their sales strategy, and improve sales team’s performance.
This article will break down the essential aspects of sales pipeline management, the key sales pipeline stages, and the sales pipeline reports you need to drive future sales and make more accurate sales forecasts.
What Are the 5 Stages of a Sales Pipeline?
A sales pipeline represents the journey of potential deals from initial contact to a closed sale. Effective sales pipeline management ensures that every opportunity progresses efficiently, helping sales managers and sales leaders track performance, improve conversion rates, and make more accurate sales forecasts. While sales pipelines can vary based on the business model, most B2B sales processes follow these five key sales pipeline stages:
Demo – The sales rep presents the product or service to a qualified prospect, demonstrating its value and addressing initial concerns. Tracking deal stage progression here helps assess pipeline value and sales velocity.
Proposal – A formal offer is presented, outlining pricing, key benefits, and how the solution aligns with the prospect’s sales strategy and business goals. Analyzing this stage in sales pipeline reports helps measure conversion rates and identify highest priority accounts.
Negotiations – Terms, pricing, and objections are discussed, with both sides working toward an agreement. Sales managers should monitor the number of deals in this stage to evaluate team performance and optimize sales efforts.
Contracting – Finalizing legal and procurement details before signing. Efficient pipeline management at this stage prevents bottlenecks and ensures smooth deal closure, contributing to won revenue.
Closed (Won/Lost) – The deal is either successfully closed, contributing to revenue generation, or marked as lost, signaling areas for sales team's performance improvement. Reviewing sales pipeline reports at this stage helps refine realistic sales targets and enhance future sales strategies.
Each stage should be carefully tracked using sales dashboard insights and sales pipeline reviews to prevent delays, reduce sales cycle length, and optimize sales performance. By analyzing key metrics such as deal velocity, average sales cycle, and potential revenue, companies can improve sales forecasting and drive predictable revenue growth rates.
What Is a Sales Pipeline Report?
A sales pipeline report is a structured analysis of opportunities within your company’s sales pipeline. It provides valuable insights into deals progress, conversion rates, bottlenecks, and potential risks that could impact revenue forecasting and sales targets. By leveraging pipeline reports, sales managers can make data-driven decisions, while RevOps teams can refine sales processes to enhance overall sales performance.
A well-structured sales pipeline report should cover:
Pipeline value at different stages – Understanding the total potential revenue within each deal stage helps sales leaders set realistic sales targets and track won revenue.
Conversion rates between stages – Measuring how effectively deals move through the sales pipeline stages provides visibility into sales team’s performance and identifies areas for improvement.
Deal velocity and stage duration – Tracking deal velocity and sales cycle length ensures that sales efforts remain efficient and focused on high-impact opportunities.
At-risk deals and potential revenue loss – Identifying deals that are stalled or unlikely to close helps refine pipeline management and avoid revenue leakage.
Forecast accuracy and trends – Comparing historical data with current sales forecasts leads to more accurate sales forecasts and helps teams anticipate future sales performance.
Regular sales pipeline reviews and well-maintained sales dashboard insights empower sales teams to optimize their sales pipeline management, improve sales strategy, and drive revenue growth rates more predictably.
10 Sales Pipeline Reports You Should Have
To fully understand and optimize your company’s sales pipeline, sales leaders and RevOps professionals should leverage data-driven sales pipeline reports. These reports provide visibility into sales pipeline stages, deals progress, conversion rates, and potential risks that impact sales performance and revenue forecasting. Below are 10 essential reports every B2B sales team should track, along with their components and calculations where necessary.
1. Pipeline Value by Stage
What it displays:
The total pipeline value at each deal stage, showing how much potential revenue exists across the entire sales team’s pipeline.
Why it matters:
Understanding the potential revenue at different stages allows sales leaders to assess sales pipeline health, set realistic sales targets, and identify whether there is enough active pipeline to meet revenue growth rate goals.
For whom:
Sales managers to monitor team performance and sales efforts.
Revenue leaders to align sales targets with financial planning.
2. Pipeline Stage Conversions
Image Source: Streak
What it displays:
The conversion rates between each sales pipeline stage, show how effectively deals move from one stage to the next.
Why it matters:
A drop in conversion rates at a specific stage signals friction in the sales process—whether due to poor qualification, pricing objections, or lack of engagement.
For whom:
Sales managers to identify weak points and coach sales reps.
RevOps teams to optimize sales cycle length and improve efficiency.
3. Pipeline Stage Durations
What it displays:
The average time deals spend in each stage, revealing delays and inefficiencies in the sales cycle.
Why it matters:
Long sales cycle lengths can slow revenue generation. Identifying bottlenecks helps streamline pipeline management and speed up deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales operations to improve the efficiency of pipeline movement.
RevOps teams to enhance sales strategy and forecasting.
4. Risky Deals Report
Risky Deals Report in Forecastio
What it displays:
Deals flagged as high-risk due to stagnation, lack of engagement, or missing critical information that could prevent them from closing. This report helps identify deals that are at risk of slipping through the cracks and negatively impacting pipeline value and sales forecasts.
Examples of risky deals:
Deals missing critical information – These are opportunities where key details, such as the decision-maker's involvement, budget confirmation, or a clear timeline, are absent. For example, if a deal is at the proposal stage but lacks a confirmed budget or a clear next step, it may indicate a low likelihood of closing.
Slipping deals – Deals that were expected to close in the current quarter but are continuously pushed to future periods. This often signals a weak commitment from the prospect or a lack of urgency. If a deal has been marked as “Closing this month” for multiple months but keeps getting postponed, it’s a red flag.
Stalled deals – These are deals where there has been no recent engagement or progress. For instance, if a sales rep has sent a contract for signature but hasn’t received a response in weeks, the deal might be stuck due to internal decision-making delays or lack of buy-in from key stakeholders.
Stuck deals – These deals are trapped at a specific sales pipeline stage for too long. For example, a deal that has been sitting in the negotiation stage for 60 days (when the average sales cycle is 30 days) might indicate pricing concerns, procurement delays, or a loss of interest from the buyer.
Why it matters:
By tracking these high-risk deals, sales managers can proactively intervene, coach sales reps on next steps, and prioritize sales efforts on deals that can still be saved. Addressing risky deals early prevents revenue leakage, improves conversion rates, and ensures a more predictable sales pipeline.
For whom:
Sales managers to guide sales reps on high-priority opportunities and improve team performance.
Account executives to focus on reviving or closing deals that are stuck or slipping.
Revenue operations to refine pipeline management strategies and ensure accurate revenue forecasting.
5. Weighted Pipeline Report
Image Source: HubSpot
What it displays:
A forecast of expected revenue based on historical win rates, assigning probabilities to each deal in the sales funnel.
How it works:
Each deal stage is assigned a probability based on past conversion rates. The total pipeline value at each stage is multiplied by its probability to get an expected revenue contribution.
Formula:
Weighted Pipeline Value = (Stage 1 value × Probability) + (Stage 2 value × Probability) + ...
For example:
Demo stage: $200,000 × 25% = $50,000
Proposal stage: $150,000 × 50% = $75,000
Contracting stage: $100,000 × 75% = $75,000
Total weighted pipeline value = $200,000
Why it matters:
Provides a more accurate sales forecast, helping sales managers and finance teams predict future sales based on actual deal progression.
For whom:
Sales leadership to plan for revenue forecasting.
Finance teams to align revenue expectations.
6. Waterfall Analysis
Sales Pipeline Waterfall Analysis in Forecastio
What it displays:
Tracks how pipeline value changes over time by breaking it into specific components.
Components:
Starting pipeline value – The total pipeline value at the beginning of a period.
Pulled-in deals – Deals added to the sales pipeline during the period.
Pushed-out deals – Deals delayed or moved to future periods.
Lost deals – Deals that were marked as lost.
Closed-won deals – Deals that converted into won revenue.
Amount increased/decreased – Deals that changed in value due to pricing adjustments, discounts, or upsells.
Ending pipeline value - The total pipeline value at the end of a period.
Why it matters:
Helps sales managers track pipeline health, measure pipeline growth or shrinkage, and identify weaknesses in sales efforts.
For whom:
Sales managers to measure sales momentum.
RevOps teams to adjust forecasting and quota setting.
7. Pipeline Coverage Report
What it displays:
The ratio of pipeline value to sales targets, indicating whether there are enough deals to meet revenue goals.
Formula:
Pipeline Coverage Ratio = Total Pipeline Value ÷ Sales Target
How to calculate ideal pipeline coverage:
To determine if the sales pipeline is healthy, divide your sales target by your win rate.
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example:
Sales target = $1,000,000
Win rate = 25%
Ideal pipeline value = $1,000,000 ÷ 0.25 = $4,000,000
If your current pipeline value is below $4M, you need to focus on lead generation efforts to fill the pipeline.
Why it matters:
Ensures the sales team has enough pipeline coverage to hit quotas and supports realistic sales targets.
For whom:
Sales leaders to monitor quota attainment risks.
Revenue operations to fine-tune forecasting models.
8. Lost Deals Analysis
Image Source: ConnectedGTM
What it displays:
A breakdown of lost deals and the reasons they failed to close.
Why it matters:
Understanding why deals are lost helps refine sales strategies, improve sales team's performance, and uncover sales process weaknesses.
For whom:
Sales leadership to address recurring objections.
Product marketing teams to refine messaging and positioning.
9. Win/Loss Rate Report
What it displays:
The percentage of won vs. lost deals over a given period, indicating the overall success rate of the sales team.
Why it matters:
Tracking win/loss rates helps identify trends, measure team performance, and benchmark success against competitors.
For whom:
Sales leaders to gauge the effectiveness of the sales pipeline.
Revenue operations to analyze deal health and improve sales KPIs.
10. Sales Velocity Report
Sales Overview Dashboard in Forecastio
What it displays:
The speed at which deals move through the sales pipeline, factoring in a number of opportunities, average deal size, win rates, and sales cycle length.
Formula:
Sales Velocity = (Number of Opportunities × Average Deal Size × Win Rate) ÷ Average Sales Cycle Length
Why it matters:
Faster sales velocity means quicker revenue generation. Monitoring this metric helps optimize sales efforts and shorten deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales managers to improve sales activity and team performance.
RevOps teams to ensure efficient pipeline management.
Top Sales Pipeline Issues
Even with strong sales pipeline reports, sales teams often face overlooked risks that can disrupt pipeline management and lead to missed quotas. Identifying these challenges early allows sales managers to take corrective action and optimize sales processes for better sales performance. Here are the key sales pipeline issues that can impact revenue generation and sales targets:
1. Stalled Deals
What it is: Deals that remain in the same sales pipeline stage for too long without meaningful progress.
Why it matters: Stalled deals increase sales cycle length, reduce sales velocity, and lower overall conversion rates.
📌 Example: A prospect completes a demo but hasn’t responded to follow-ups for weeks. Without engagement, the deal may be at risk of slipping or being lost entirely.
How to fix it: Use a Risky Deals Report to identify and reactivate stalled deals with targeted outreach, revised offers, or escalation strategies.
2. Low Conversion Rates
What it is: A poor transition of deals from one pipeline stage to the next, leading to revenue loss.
Why it matters: Indicates inefficiencies in the sales process, such as weak qualification, lack of urgency, or poor follow-up strategies.
📌 Example: If only 30% of deals move from the proposal stage to negotiations, it suggests pricing objections or unclear value propositions.
How to fix it: Regularly analyze Pipeline Stage Conversion Reports and optimize sales efforts based on where the most drop-offs occur.
3. Over-Reliance on One Big Deal
What it is: Depending too heavily on a single large deal to meet quota instead of maintaining a balanced active pipeline.
Why it matters: If that deal falls through, the sales team may fail to meet revenue growth rate targets, causing forecasting instability.
📌 Example: A sales rep focuses all attention on a $500K deal, ignoring smaller deals. When the big deal is lost, there aren’t enough opportunities to compensate.
How to fix it: Maintain a healthy pipeline coverage ratio by distributing efforts across multiple deals and highest priority accounts.
4. Pipeline Clog from Unqualified Leads
What it is: Too many low-quality deals inflating pipeline value and creating false confidence in sales forecasts.
Why it matters: An overstuffed pipeline with low-probability deals distorts pipeline reports and wastes valuable sales team resources.
📌 Example: A marketing team generates a high number of leads, but most don’t have budget approval or decision-making power.
How to fix it: Strengthen lead qualification processes and track win/loss rates to ensure only quality leads enter the sales pipeline.
5. Lack of Pipeline Coverage
What it is: An insufficient number of deals in the sales pipeline to meet quota.
Why it matters: Without enough potential revenue, hitting sales targets becomes nearly impossible.
📌 Example: A sales team with a $1M quota but only $2M in pipeline value (when their win rate is 30%) is unlikely to succeed.
How to fix it: Use the Pipeline Coverage Report to calculate the ideal sales pipeline coverage:
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example, if your sales target is $1M and your win rate is 25%, your pipeline should have at least $4M in opportunities.
6. Data Inaccuracy
What it is: Incorrect or outdated deal statuses, inaccurate sales stat tracking, or missing details leading to misleading reports.
Why it matters: Inaccurate data skews sales forecasting, making it difficult to plan future sales or allocate resources effectively.
📌 Example: A deal marked as "negotiation" that was actually lost three weeks ago inflates pipeline value and distorts revenue forecasting.
How to fix it: Conduct regular sales pipeline reviews, enforce strict data hygiene practices, and integrate sales tools that auto-update deal progress.
7. Poor Forecasting Methods
What it is: Not leveraging historical trends, win/loss data, and weighted sales forecasts to predict revenue accurately.
Why it matters: Leads to unrealistic sales targets, missed quotas, and revenue shortfalls.
📌 Example: A sales leader relies on gut feeling rather than using a Weighted Pipeline Report, resulting in an overestimated revenue projection.
How to fix it: Implement more accurate sales forecasts by using Weighted Pipeline Reports, Win/Loss Rate Reports, and historical conversion rates.
Conclusion
A data-driven approach to sales pipeline management is essential for sales managers and RevOps teams. By leveraging key pipeline reports, organizations can optimize deal flow, improve forecast accuracy, and eliminate bottlenecks that hinder growth.
Consistently monitoring the health of the pipeline allows sales teams to take proactive measures, ensuring sustainable revenue growth and higher win rates.
To take your sales pipeline management to the next level, ensure you’re tracking the right metrics and using actionable reports to drive continuous improvements.
Introduction
A well-structured sales pipeline is the backbone of revenue generation in B2B sales. However, simply having a company’s sales pipeline is not enough—analyzing it effectively is what separates successful teams from those struggling with inconsistent results.
Sales managers and RevOps professionals must regularly conduct sales pipeline reviews, track key metrics, and generate sales pipeline reports to gain visibility into deals progress, identify risks, and optimize the sales process. By leveraging insightful pipeline reports, businesses can set realistic sales targets, enhance their sales strategy, and improve sales team’s performance.
This article will break down the essential aspects of sales pipeline management, the key sales pipeline stages, and the sales pipeline reports you need to drive future sales and make more accurate sales forecasts.
What Are the 5 Stages of a Sales Pipeline?
A sales pipeline represents the journey of potential deals from initial contact to a closed sale. Effective sales pipeline management ensures that every opportunity progresses efficiently, helping sales managers and sales leaders track performance, improve conversion rates, and make more accurate sales forecasts. While sales pipelines can vary based on the business model, most B2B sales processes follow these five key sales pipeline stages:
Demo – The sales rep presents the product or service to a qualified prospect, demonstrating its value and addressing initial concerns. Tracking deal stage progression here helps assess pipeline value and sales velocity.
Proposal – A formal offer is presented, outlining pricing, key benefits, and how the solution aligns with the prospect’s sales strategy and business goals. Analyzing this stage in sales pipeline reports helps measure conversion rates and identify highest priority accounts.
Negotiations – Terms, pricing, and objections are discussed, with both sides working toward an agreement. Sales managers should monitor the number of deals in this stage to evaluate team performance and optimize sales efforts.
Contracting – Finalizing legal and procurement details before signing. Efficient pipeline management at this stage prevents bottlenecks and ensures smooth deal closure, contributing to won revenue.
Closed (Won/Lost) – The deal is either successfully closed, contributing to revenue generation, or marked as lost, signaling areas for sales team's performance improvement. Reviewing sales pipeline reports at this stage helps refine realistic sales targets and enhance future sales strategies.
Each stage should be carefully tracked using sales dashboard insights and sales pipeline reviews to prevent delays, reduce sales cycle length, and optimize sales performance. By analyzing key metrics such as deal velocity, average sales cycle, and potential revenue, companies can improve sales forecasting and drive predictable revenue growth rates.
What Is a Sales Pipeline Report?
A sales pipeline report is a structured analysis of opportunities within your company’s sales pipeline. It provides valuable insights into deals progress, conversion rates, bottlenecks, and potential risks that could impact revenue forecasting and sales targets. By leveraging pipeline reports, sales managers can make data-driven decisions, while RevOps teams can refine sales processes to enhance overall sales performance.
A well-structured sales pipeline report should cover:
Pipeline value at different stages – Understanding the total potential revenue within each deal stage helps sales leaders set realistic sales targets and track won revenue.
Conversion rates between stages – Measuring how effectively deals move through the sales pipeline stages provides visibility into sales team’s performance and identifies areas for improvement.
Deal velocity and stage duration – Tracking deal velocity and sales cycle length ensures that sales efforts remain efficient and focused on high-impact opportunities.
At-risk deals and potential revenue loss – Identifying deals that are stalled or unlikely to close helps refine pipeline management and avoid revenue leakage.
Forecast accuracy and trends – Comparing historical data with current sales forecasts leads to more accurate sales forecasts and helps teams anticipate future sales performance.
Regular sales pipeline reviews and well-maintained sales dashboard insights empower sales teams to optimize their sales pipeline management, improve sales strategy, and drive revenue growth rates more predictably.
10 Sales Pipeline Reports You Should Have
To fully understand and optimize your company’s sales pipeline, sales leaders and RevOps professionals should leverage data-driven sales pipeline reports. These reports provide visibility into sales pipeline stages, deals progress, conversion rates, and potential risks that impact sales performance and revenue forecasting. Below are 10 essential reports every B2B sales team should track, along with their components and calculations where necessary.
1. Pipeline Value by Stage
What it displays:
The total pipeline value at each deal stage, showing how much potential revenue exists across the entire sales team’s pipeline.
Why it matters:
Understanding the potential revenue at different stages allows sales leaders to assess sales pipeline health, set realistic sales targets, and identify whether there is enough active pipeline to meet revenue growth rate goals.
For whom:
Sales managers to monitor team performance and sales efforts.
Revenue leaders to align sales targets with financial planning.
2. Pipeline Stage Conversions
Image Source: Streak
What it displays:
The conversion rates between each sales pipeline stage, show how effectively deals move from one stage to the next.
Why it matters:
A drop in conversion rates at a specific stage signals friction in the sales process—whether due to poor qualification, pricing objections, or lack of engagement.
For whom:
Sales managers to identify weak points and coach sales reps.
RevOps teams to optimize sales cycle length and improve efficiency.
3. Pipeline Stage Durations
What it displays:
The average time deals spend in each stage, revealing delays and inefficiencies in the sales cycle.
Why it matters:
Long sales cycle lengths can slow revenue generation. Identifying bottlenecks helps streamline pipeline management and speed up deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales operations to improve the efficiency of pipeline movement.
RevOps teams to enhance sales strategy and forecasting.
4. Risky Deals Report
Risky Deals Report in Forecastio
What it displays:
Deals flagged as high-risk due to stagnation, lack of engagement, or missing critical information that could prevent them from closing. This report helps identify deals that are at risk of slipping through the cracks and negatively impacting pipeline value and sales forecasts.
Examples of risky deals:
Deals missing critical information – These are opportunities where key details, such as the decision-maker's involvement, budget confirmation, or a clear timeline, are absent. For example, if a deal is at the proposal stage but lacks a confirmed budget or a clear next step, it may indicate a low likelihood of closing.
Slipping deals – Deals that were expected to close in the current quarter but are continuously pushed to future periods. This often signals a weak commitment from the prospect or a lack of urgency. If a deal has been marked as “Closing this month” for multiple months but keeps getting postponed, it’s a red flag.
Stalled deals – These are deals where there has been no recent engagement or progress. For instance, if a sales rep has sent a contract for signature but hasn’t received a response in weeks, the deal might be stuck due to internal decision-making delays or lack of buy-in from key stakeholders.
Stuck deals – These deals are trapped at a specific sales pipeline stage for too long. For example, a deal that has been sitting in the negotiation stage for 60 days (when the average sales cycle is 30 days) might indicate pricing concerns, procurement delays, or a loss of interest from the buyer.
Why it matters:
By tracking these high-risk deals, sales managers can proactively intervene, coach sales reps on next steps, and prioritize sales efforts on deals that can still be saved. Addressing risky deals early prevents revenue leakage, improves conversion rates, and ensures a more predictable sales pipeline.
For whom:
Sales managers to guide sales reps on high-priority opportunities and improve team performance.
Account executives to focus on reviving or closing deals that are stuck or slipping.
Revenue operations to refine pipeline management strategies and ensure accurate revenue forecasting.
5. Weighted Pipeline Report
Image Source: HubSpot
What it displays:
A forecast of expected revenue based on historical win rates, assigning probabilities to each deal in the sales funnel.
How it works:
Each deal stage is assigned a probability based on past conversion rates. The total pipeline value at each stage is multiplied by its probability to get an expected revenue contribution.
Formula:
Weighted Pipeline Value = (Stage 1 value × Probability) + (Stage 2 value × Probability) + ...
For example:
Demo stage: $200,000 × 25% = $50,000
Proposal stage: $150,000 × 50% = $75,000
Contracting stage: $100,000 × 75% = $75,000
Total weighted pipeline value = $200,000
Why it matters:
Provides a more accurate sales forecast, helping sales managers and finance teams predict future sales based on actual deal progression.
For whom:
Sales leadership to plan for revenue forecasting.
Finance teams to align revenue expectations.
6. Waterfall Analysis
Sales Pipeline Waterfall Analysis in Forecastio
What it displays:
Tracks how pipeline value changes over time by breaking it into specific components.
Components:
Starting pipeline value – The total pipeline value at the beginning of a period.
Pulled-in deals – Deals added to the sales pipeline during the period.
Pushed-out deals – Deals delayed or moved to future periods.
Lost deals – Deals that were marked as lost.
Closed-won deals – Deals that converted into won revenue.
Amount increased/decreased – Deals that changed in value due to pricing adjustments, discounts, or upsells.
Ending pipeline value - The total pipeline value at the end of a period.
Why it matters:
Helps sales managers track pipeline health, measure pipeline growth or shrinkage, and identify weaknesses in sales efforts.
For whom:
Sales managers to measure sales momentum.
RevOps teams to adjust forecasting and quota setting.
7. Pipeline Coverage Report
What it displays:
The ratio of pipeline value to sales targets, indicating whether there are enough deals to meet revenue goals.
Formula:
Pipeline Coverage Ratio = Total Pipeline Value ÷ Sales Target
How to calculate ideal pipeline coverage:
To determine if the sales pipeline is healthy, divide your sales target by your win rate.
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example:
Sales target = $1,000,000
Win rate = 25%
Ideal pipeline value = $1,000,000 ÷ 0.25 = $4,000,000
If your current pipeline value is below $4M, you need to focus on lead generation efforts to fill the pipeline.
Why it matters:
Ensures the sales team has enough pipeline coverage to hit quotas and supports realistic sales targets.
For whom:
Sales leaders to monitor quota attainment risks.
Revenue operations to fine-tune forecasting models.
8. Lost Deals Analysis
Image Source: ConnectedGTM
What it displays:
A breakdown of lost deals and the reasons they failed to close.
Why it matters:
Understanding why deals are lost helps refine sales strategies, improve sales team's performance, and uncover sales process weaknesses.
For whom:
Sales leadership to address recurring objections.
Product marketing teams to refine messaging and positioning.
9. Win/Loss Rate Report
What it displays:
The percentage of won vs. lost deals over a given period, indicating the overall success rate of the sales team.
Why it matters:
Tracking win/loss rates helps identify trends, measure team performance, and benchmark success against competitors.
For whom:
Sales leaders to gauge the effectiveness of the sales pipeline.
Revenue operations to analyze deal health and improve sales KPIs.
10. Sales Velocity Report
Sales Overview Dashboard in Forecastio
What it displays:
The speed at which deals move through the sales pipeline, factoring in a number of opportunities, average deal size, win rates, and sales cycle length.
Formula:
Sales Velocity = (Number of Opportunities × Average Deal Size × Win Rate) ÷ Average Sales Cycle Length
Why it matters:
Faster sales velocity means quicker revenue generation. Monitoring this metric helps optimize sales efforts and shorten deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales managers to improve sales activity and team performance.
RevOps teams to ensure efficient pipeline management.
Top Sales Pipeline Issues
Even with strong sales pipeline reports, sales teams often face overlooked risks that can disrupt pipeline management and lead to missed quotas. Identifying these challenges early allows sales managers to take corrective action and optimize sales processes for better sales performance. Here are the key sales pipeline issues that can impact revenue generation and sales targets:
1. Stalled Deals
What it is: Deals that remain in the same sales pipeline stage for too long without meaningful progress.
Why it matters: Stalled deals increase sales cycle length, reduce sales velocity, and lower overall conversion rates.
📌 Example: A prospect completes a demo but hasn’t responded to follow-ups for weeks. Without engagement, the deal may be at risk of slipping or being lost entirely.
How to fix it: Use a Risky Deals Report to identify and reactivate stalled deals with targeted outreach, revised offers, or escalation strategies.
2. Low Conversion Rates
What it is: A poor transition of deals from one pipeline stage to the next, leading to revenue loss.
Why it matters: Indicates inefficiencies in the sales process, such as weak qualification, lack of urgency, or poor follow-up strategies.
📌 Example: If only 30% of deals move from the proposal stage to negotiations, it suggests pricing objections or unclear value propositions.
How to fix it: Regularly analyze Pipeline Stage Conversion Reports and optimize sales efforts based on where the most drop-offs occur.
3. Over-Reliance on One Big Deal
What it is: Depending too heavily on a single large deal to meet quota instead of maintaining a balanced active pipeline.
Why it matters: If that deal falls through, the sales team may fail to meet revenue growth rate targets, causing forecasting instability.
📌 Example: A sales rep focuses all attention on a $500K deal, ignoring smaller deals. When the big deal is lost, there aren’t enough opportunities to compensate.
How to fix it: Maintain a healthy pipeline coverage ratio by distributing efforts across multiple deals and highest priority accounts.
4. Pipeline Clog from Unqualified Leads
What it is: Too many low-quality deals inflating pipeline value and creating false confidence in sales forecasts.
Why it matters: An overstuffed pipeline with low-probability deals distorts pipeline reports and wastes valuable sales team resources.
📌 Example: A marketing team generates a high number of leads, but most don’t have budget approval or decision-making power.
How to fix it: Strengthen lead qualification processes and track win/loss rates to ensure only quality leads enter the sales pipeline.
5. Lack of Pipeline Coverage
What it is: An insufficient number of deals in the sales pipeline to meet quota.
Why it matters: Without enough potential revenue, hitting sales targets becomes nearly impossible.
📌 Example: A sales team with a $1M quota but only $2M in pipeline value (when their win rate is 30%) is unlikely to succeed.
How to fix it: Use the Pipeline Coverage Report to calculate the ideal sales pipeline coverage:
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example, if your sales target is $1M and your win rate is 25%, your pipeline should have at least $4M in opportunities.
6. Data Inaccuracy
What it is: Incorrect or outdated deal statuses, inaccurate sales stat tracking, or missing details leading to misleading reports.
Why it matters: Inaccurate data skews sales forecasting, making it difficult to plan future sales or allocate resources effectively.
📌 Example: A deal marked as "negotiation" that was actually lost three weeks ago inflates pipeline value and distorts revenue forecasting.
How to fix it: Conduct regular sales pipeline reviews, enforce strict data hygiene practices, and integrate sales tools that auto-update deal progress.
7. Poor Forecasting Methods
What it is: Not leveraging historical trends, win/loss data, and weighted sales forecasts to predict revenue accurately.
Why it matters: Leads to unrealistic sales targets, missed quotas, and revenue shortfalls.
📌 Example: A sales leader relies on gut feeling rather than using a Weighted Pipeline Report, resulting in an overestimated revenue projection.
How to fix it: Implement more accurate sales forecasts by using Weighted Pipeline Reports, Win/Loss Rate Reports, and historical conversion rates.
Conclusion
A data-driven approach to sales pipeline management is essential for sales managers and RevOps teams. By leveraging key pipeline reports, organizations can optimize deal flow, improve forecast accuracy, and eliminate bottlenecks that hinder growth.
Consistently monitoring the health of the pipeline allows sales teams to take proactive measures, ensuring sustainable revenue growth and higher win rates.
To take your sales pipeline management to the next level, ensure you’re tracking the right metrics and using actionable reports to drive continuous improvements.
Introduction
A well-structured sales pipeline is the backbone of revenue generation in B2B sales. However, simply having a company’s sales pipeline is not enough—analyzing it effectively is what separates successful teams from those struggling with inconsistent results.
Sales managers and RevOps professionals must regularly conduct sales pipeline reviews, track key metrics, and generate sales pipeline reports to gain visibility into deals progress, identify risks, and optimize the sales process. By leveraging insightful pipeline reports, businesses can set realistic sales targets, enhance their sales strategy, and improve sales team’s performance.
This article will break down the essential aspects of sales pipeline management, the key sales pipeline stages, and the sales pipeline reports you need to drive future sales and make more accurate sales forecasts.
What Are the 5 Stages of a Sales Pipeline?
A sales pipeline represents the journey of potential deals from initial contact to a closed sale. Effective sales pipeline management ensures that every opportunity progresses efficiently, helping sales managers and sales leaders track performance, improve conversion rates, and make more accurate sales forecasts. While sales pipelines can vary based on the business model, most B2B sales processes follow these five key sales pipeline stages:
Demo – The sales rep presents the product or service to a qualified prospect, demonstrating its value and addressing initial concerns. Tracking deal stage progression here helps assess pipeline value and sales velocity.
Proposal – A formal offer is presented, outlining pricing, key benefits, and how the solution aligns with the prospect’s sales strategy and business goals. Analyzing this stage in sales pipeline reports helps measure conversion rates and identify highest priority accounts.
Negotiations – Terms, pricing, and objections are discussed, with both sides working toward an agreement. Sales managers should monitor the number of deals in this stage to evaluate team performance and optimize sales efforts.
Contracting – Finalizing legal and procurement details before signing. Efficient pipeline management at this stage prevents bottlenecks and ensures smooth deal closure, contributing to won revenue.
Closed (Won/Lost) – The deal is either successfully closed, contributing to revenue generation, or marked as lost, signaling areas for sales team's performance improvement. Reviewing sales pipeline reports at this stage helps refine realistic sales targets and enhance future sales strategies.
Each stage should be carefully tracked using sales dashboard insights and sales pipeline reviews to prevent delays, reduce sales cycle length, and optimize sales performance. By analyzing key metrics such as deal velocity, average sales cycle, and potential revenue, companies can improve sales forecasting and drive predictable revenue growth rates.
What Is a Sales Pipeline Report?
A sales pipeline report is a structured analysis of opportunities within your company’s sales pipeline. It provides valuable insights into deals progress, conversion rates, bottlenecks, and potential risks that could impact revenue forecasting and sales targets. By leveraging pipeline reports, sales managers can make data-driven decisions, while RevOps teams can refine sales processes to enhance overall sales performance.
A well-structured sales pipeline report should cover:
Pipeline value at different stages – Understanding the total potential revenue within each deal stage helps sales leaders set realistic sales targets and track won revenue.
Conversion rates between stages – Measuring how effectively deals move through the sales pipeline stages provides visibility into sales team’s performance and identifies areas for improvement.
Deal velocity and stage duration – Tracking deal velocity and sales cycle length ensures that sales efforts remain efficient and focused on high-impact opportunities.
At-risk deals and potential revenue loss – Identifying deals that are stalled or unlikely to close helps refine pipeline management and avoid revenue leakage.
Forecast accuracy and trends – Comparing historical data with current sales forecasts leads to more accurate sales forecasts and helps teams anticipate future sales performance.
Regular sales pipeline reviews and well-maintained sales dashboard insights empower sales teams to optimize their sales pipeline management, improve sales strategy, and drive revenue growth rates more predictably.
10 Sales Pipeline Reports You Should Have
To fully understand and optimize your company’s sales pipeline, sales leaders and RevOps professionals should leverage data-driven sales pipeline reports. These reports provide visibility into sales pipeline stages, deals progress, conversion rates, and potential risks that impact sales performance and revenue forecasting. Below are 10 essential reports every B2B sales team should track, along with their components and calculations where necessary.
1. Pipeline Value by Stage
What it displays:
The total pipeline value at each deal stage, showing how much potential revenue exists across the entire sales team’s pipeline.
Why it matters:
Understanding the potential revenue at different stages allows sales leaders to assess sales pipeline health, set realistic sales targets, and identify whether there is enough active pipeline to meet revenue growth rate goals.
For whom:
Sales managers to monitor team performance and sales efforts.
Revenue leaders to align sales targets with financial planning.
2. Pipeline Stage Conversions
Image Source: Streak
What it displays:
The conversion rates between each sales pipeline stage, show how effectively deals move from one stage to the next.
Why it matters:
A drop in conversion rates at a specific stage signals friction in the sales process—whether due to poor qualification, pricing objections, or lack of engagement.
For whom:
Sales managers to identify weak points and coach sales reps.
RevOps teams to optimize sales cycle length and improve efficiency.
3. Pipeline Stage Durations
What it displays:
The average time deals spend in each stage, revealing delays and inefficiencies in the sales cycle.
Why it matters:
Long sales cycle lengths can slow revenue generation. Identifying bottlenecks helps streamline pipeline management and speed up deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales operations to improve the efficiency of pipeline movement.
RevOps teams to enhance sales strategy and forecasting.
4. Risky Deals Report
Risky Deals Report in Forecastio
What it displays:
Deals flagged as high-risk due to stagnation, lack of engagement, or missing critical information that could prevent them from closing. This report helps identify deals that are at risk of slipping through the cracks and negatively impacting pipeline value and sales forecasts.
Examples of risky deals:
Deals missing critical information – These are opportunities where key details, such as the decision-maker's involvement, budget confirmation, or a clear timeline, are absent. For example, if a deal is at the proposal stage but lacks a confirmed budget or a clear next step, it may indicate a low likelihood of closing.
Slipping deals – Deals that were expected to close in the current quarter but are continuously pushed to future periods. This often signals a weak commitment from the prospect or a lack of urgency. If a deal has been marked as “Closing this month” for multiple months but keeps getting postponed, it’s a red flag.
Stalled deals – These are deals where there has been no recent engagement or progress. For instance, if a sales rep has sent a contract for signature but hasn’t received a response in weeks, the deal might be stuck due to internal decision-making delays or lack of buy-in from key stakeholders.
Stuck deals – These deals are trapped at a specific sales pipeline stage for too long. For example, a deal that has been sitting in the negotiation stage for 60 days (when the average sales cycle is 30 days) might indicate pricing concerns, procurement delays, or a loss of interest from the buyer.
Why it matters:
By tracking these high-risk deals, sales managers can proactively intervene, coach sales reps on next steps, and prioritize sales efforts on deals that can still be saved. Addressing risky deals early prevents revenue leakage, improves conversion rates, and ensures a more predictable sales pipeline.
For whom:
Sales managers to guide sales reps on high-priority opportunities and improve team performance.
Account executives to focus on reviving or closing deals that are stuck or slipping.
Revenue operations to refine pipeline management strategies and ensure accurate revenue forecasting.
5. Weighted Pipeline Report
Image Source: HubSpot
What it displays:
A forecast of expected revenue based on historical win rates, assigning probabilities to each deal in the sales funnel.
How it works:
Each deal stage is assigned a probability based on past conversion rates. The total pipeline value at each stage is multiplied by its probability to get an expected revenue contribution.
Formula:
Weighted Pipeline Value = (Stage 1 value × Probability) + (Stage 2 value × Probability) + ...
For example:
Demo stage: $200,000 × 25% = $50,000
Proposal stage: $150,000 × 50% = $75,000
Contracting stage: $100,000 × 75% = $75,000
Total weighted pipeline value = $200,000
Why it matters:
Provides a more accurate sales forecast, helping sales managers and finance teams predict future sales based on actual deal progression.
For whom:
Sales leadership to plan for revenue forecasting.
Finance teams to align revenue expectations.
6. Waterfall Analysis
Sales Pipeline Waterfall Analysis in Forecastio
What it displays:
Tracks how pipeline value changes over time by breaking it into specific components.
Components:
Starting pipeline value – The total pipeline value at the beginning of a period.
Pulled-in deals – Deals added to the sales pipeline during the period.
Pushed-out deals – Deals delayed or moved to future periods.
Lost deals – Deals that were marked as lost.
Closed-won deals – Deals that converted into won revenue.
Amount increased/decreased – Deals that changed in value due to pricing adjustments, discounts, or upsells.
Ending pipeline value - The total pipeline value at the end of a period.
Why it matters:
Helps sales managers track pipeline health, measure pipeline growth or shrinkage, and identify weaknesses in sales efforts.
For whom:
Sales managers to measure sales momentum.
RevOps teams to adjust forecasting and quota setting.
7. Pipeline Coverage Report
What it displays:
The ratio of pipeline value to sales targets, indicating whether there are enough deals to meet revenue goals.
Formula:
Pipeline Coverage Ratio = Total Pipeline Value ÷ Sales Target
How to calculate ideal pipeline coverage:
To determine if the sales pipeline is healthy, divide your sales target by your win rate.
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example:
Sales target = $1,000,000
Win rate = 25%
Ideal pipeline value = $1,000,000 ÷ 0.25 = $4,000,000
If your current pipeline value is below $4M, you need to focus on lead generation efforts to fill the pipeline.
Why it matters:
Ensures the sales team has enough pipeline coverage to hit quotas and supports realistic sales targets.
For whom:
Sales leaders to monitor quota attainment risks.
Revenue operations to fine-tune forecasting models.
8. Lost Deals Analysis
Image Source: ConnectedGTM
What it displays:
A breakdown of lost deals and the reasons they failed to close.
Why it matters:
Understanding why deals are lost helps refine sales strategies, improve sales team's performance, and uncover sales process weaknesses.
For whom:
Sales leadership to address recurring objections.
Product marketing teams to refine messaging and positioning.
9. Win/Loss Rate Report
What it displays:
The percentage of won vs. lost deals over a given period, indicating the overall success rate of the sales team.
Why it matters:
Tracking win/loss rates helps identify trends, measure team performance, and benchmark success against competitors.
For whom:
Sales leaders to gauge the effectiveness of the sales pipeline.
Revenue operations to analyze deal health and improve sales KPIs.
10. Sales Velocity Report
Sales Overview Dashboard in Forecastio
What it displays:
The speed at which deals move through the sales pipeline, factoring in a number of opportunities, average deal size, win rates, and sales cycle length.
Formula:
Sales Velocity = (Number of Opportunities × Average Deal Size × Win Rate) ÷ Average Sales Cycle Length
Why it matters:
Faster sales velocity means quicker revenue generation. Monitoring this metric helps optimize sales efforts and shorten deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales managers to improve sales activity and team performance.
RevOps teams to ensure efficient pipeline management.
Top Sales Pipeline Issues
Even with strong sales pipeline reports, sales teams often face overlooked risks that can disrupt pipeline management and lead to missed quotas. Identifying these challenges early allows sales managers to take corrective action and optimize sales processes for better sales performance. Here are the key sales pipeline issues that can impact revenue generation and sales targets:
1. Stalled Deals
What it is: Deals that remain in the same sales pipeline stage for too long without meaningful progress.
Why it matters: Stalled deals increase sales cycle length, reduce sales velocity, and lower overall conversion rates.
📌 Example: A prospect completes a demo but hasn’t responded to follow-ups for weeks. Without engagement, the deal may be at risk of slipping or being lost entirely.
How to fix it: Use a Risky Deals Report to identify and reactivate stalled deals with targeted outreach, revised offers, or escalation strategies.
2. Low Conversion Rates
What it is: A poor transition of deals from one pipeline stage to the next, leading to revenue loss.
Why it matters: Indicates inefficiencies in the sales process, such as weak qualification, lack of urgency, or poor follow-up strategies.
📌 Example: If only 30% of deals move from the proposal stage to negotiations, it suggests pricing objections or unclear value propositions.
How to fix it: Regularly analyze Pipeline Stage Conversion Reports and optimize sales efforts based on where the most drop-offs occur.
3. Over-Reliance on One Big Deal
What it is: Depending too heavily on a single large deal to meet quota instead of maintaining a balanced active pipeline.
Why it matters: If that deal falls through, the sales team may fail to meet revenue growth rate targets, causing forecasting instability.
📌 Example: A sales rep focuses all attention on a $500K deal, ignoring smaller deals. When the big deal is lost, there aren’t enough opportunities to compensate.
How to fix it: Maintain a healthy pipeline coverage ratio by distributing efforts across multiple deals and highest priority accounts.
4. Pipeline Clog from Unqualified Leads
What it is: Too many low-quality deals inflating pipeline value and creating false confidence in sales forecasts.
Why it matters: An overstuffed pipeline with low-probability deals distorts pipeline reports and wastes valuable sales team resources.
📌 Example: A marketing team generates a high number of leads, but most don’t have budget approval or decision-making power.
How to fix it: Strengthen lead qualification processes and track win/loss rates to ensure only quality leads enter the sales pipeline.
5. Lack of Pipeline Coverage
What it is: An insufficient number of deals in the sales pipeline to meet quota.
Why it matters: Without enough potential revenue, hitting sales targets becomes nearly impossible.
📌 Example: A sales team with a $1M quota but only $2M in pipeline value (when their win rate is 30%) is unlikely to succeed.
How to fix it: Use the Pipeline Coverage Report to calculate the ideal sales pipeline coverage:
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example, if your sales target is $1M and your win rate is 25%, your pipeline should have at least $4M in opportunities.
6. Data Inaccuracy
What it is: Incorrect or outdated deal statuses, inaccurate sales stat tracking, or missing details leading to misleading reports.
Why it matters: Inaccurate data skews sales forecasting, making it difficult to plan future sales or allocate resources effectively.
📌 Example: A deal marked as "negotiation" that was actually lost three weeks ago inflates pipeline value and distorts revenue forecasting.
How to fix it: Conduct regular sales pipeline reviews, enforce strict data hygiene practices, and integrate sales tools that auto-update deal progress.
7. Poor Forecasting Methods
What it is: Not leveraging historical trends, win/loss data, and weighted sales forecasts to predict revenue accurately.
Why it matters: Leads to unrealistic sales targets, missed quotas, and revenue shortfalls.
📌 Example: A sales leader relies on gut feeling rather than using a Weighted Pipeline Report, resulting in an overestimated revenue projection.
How to fix it: Implement more accurate sales forecasts by using Weighted Pipeline Reports, Win/Loss Rate Reports, and historical conversion rates.
Conclusion
A data-driven approach to sales pipeline management is essential for sales managers and RevOps teams. By leveraging key pipeline reports, organizations can optimize deal flow, improve forecast accuracy, and eliminate bottlenecks that hinder growth.
Consistently monitoring the health of the pipeline allows sales teams to take proactive measures, ensuring sustainable revenue growth and higher win rates.
To take your sales pipeline management to the next level, ensure you’re tracking the right metrics and using actionable reports to drive continuous improvements.
Introduction
A well-structured sales pipeline is the backbone of revenue generation in B2B sales. However, simply having a company’s sales pipeline is not enough—analyzing it effectively is what separates successful teams from those struggling with inconsistent results.
Sales managers and RevOps professionals must regularly conduct sales pipeline reviews, track key metrics, and generate sales pipeline reports to gain visibility into deals progress, identify risks, and optimize the sales process. By leveraging insightful pipeline reports, businesses can set realistic sales targets, enhance their sales strategy, and improve sales team’s performance.
This article will break down the essential aspects of sales pipeline management, the key sales pipeline stages, and the sales pipeline reports you need to drive future sales and make more accurate sales forecasts.
What Are the 5 Stages of a Sales Pipeline?
A sales pipeline represents the journey of potential deals from initial contact to a closed sale. Effective sales pipeline management ensures that every opportunity progresses efficiently, helping sales managers and sales leaders track performance, improve conversion rates, and make more accurate sales forecasts. While sales pipelines can vary based on the business model, most B2B sales processes follow these five key sales pipeline stages:
Demo – The sales rep presents the product or service to a qualified prospect, demonstrating its value and addressing initial concerns. Tracking deal stage progression here helps assess pipeline value and sales velocity.
Proposal – A formal offer is presented, outlining pricing, key benefits, and how the solution aligns with the prospect’s sales strategy and business goals. Analyzing this stage in sales pipeline reports helps measure conversion rates and identify highest priority accounts.
Negotiations – Terms, pricing, and objections are discussed, with both sides working toward an agreement. Sales managers should monitor the number of deals in this stage to evaluate team performance and optimize sales efforts.
Contracting – Finalizing legal and procurement details before signing. Efficient pipeline management at this stage prevents bottlenecks and ensures smooth deal closure, contributing to won revenue.
Closed (Won/Lost) – The deal is either successfully closed, contributing to revenue generation, or marked as lost, signaling areas for sales team's performance improvement. Reviewing sales pipeline reports at this stage helps refine realistic sales targets and enhance future sales strategies.
Each stage should be carefully tracked using sales dashboard insights and sales pipeline reviews to prevent delays, reduce sales cycle length, and optimize sales performance. By analyzing key metrics such as deal velocity, average sales cycle, and potential revenue, companies can improve sales forecasting and drive predictable revenue growth rates.
What Is a Sales Pipeline Report?
A sales pipeline report is a structured analysis of opportunities within your company’s sales pipeline. It provides valuable insights into deals progress, conversion rates, bottlenecks, and potential risks that could impact revenue forecasting and sales targets. By leveraging pipeline reports, sales managers can make data-driven decisions, while RevOps teams can refine sales processes to enhance overall sales performance.
A well-structured sales pipeline report should cover:
Pipeline value at different stages – Understanding the total potential revenue within each deal stage helps sales leaders set realistic sales targets and track won revenue.
Conversion rates between stages – Measuring how effectively deals move through the sales pipeline stages provides visibility into sales team’s performance and identifies areas for improvement.
Deal velocity and stage duration – Tracking deal velocity and sales cycle length ensures that sales efforts remain efficient and focused on high-impact opportunities.
At-risk deals and potential revenue loss – Identifying deals that are stalled or unlikely to close helps refine pipeline management and avoid revenue leakage.
Forecast accuracy and trends – Comparing historical data with current sales forecasts leads to more accurate sales forecasts and helps teams anticipate future sales performance.
Regular sales pipeline reviews and well-maintained sales dashboard insights empower sales teams to optimize their sales pipeline management, improve sales strategy, and drive revenue growth rates more predictably.
10 Sales Pipeline Reports You Should Have
To fully understand and optimize your company’s sales pipeline, sales leaders and RevOps professionals should leverage data-driven sales pipeline reports. These reports provide visibility into sales pipeline stages, deals progress, conversion rates, and potential risks that impact sales performance and revenue forecasting. Below are 10 essential reports every B2B sales team should track, along with their components and calculations where necessary.
1. Pipeline Value by Stage
What it displays:
The total pipeline value at each deal stage, showing how much potential revenue exists across the entire sales team’s pipeline.
Why it matters:
Understanding the potential revenue at different stages allows sales leaders to assess sales pipeline health, set realistic sales targets, and identify whether there is enough active pipeline to meet revenue growth rate goals.
For whom:
Sales managers to monitor team performance and sales efforts.
Revenue leaders to align sales targets with financial planning.
2. Pipeline Stage Conversions
Image Source: Streak
What it displays:
The conversion rates between each sales pipeline stage, show how effectively deals move from one stage to the next.
Why it matters:
A drop in conversion rates at a specific stage signals friction in the sales process—whether due to poor qualification, pricing objections, or lack of engagement.
For whom:
Sales managers to identify weak points and coach sales reps.
RevOps teams to optimize sales cycle length and improve efficiency.
3. Pipeline Stage Durations
What it displays:
The average time deals spend in each stage, revealing delays and inefficiencies in the sales cycle.
Why it matters:
Long sales cycle lengths can slow revenue generation. Identifying bottlenecks helps streamline pipeline management and speed up deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales operations to improve the efficiency of pipeline movement.
RevOps teams to enhance sales strategy and forecasting.
4. Risky Deals Report
Risky Deals Report in Forecastio
What it displays:
Deals flagged as high-risk due to stagnation, lack of engagement, or missing critical information that could prevent them from closing. This report helps identify deals that are at risk of slipping through the cracks and negatively impacting pipeline value and sales forecasts.
Examples of risky deals:
Deals missing critical information – These are opportunities where key details, such as the decision-maker's involvement, budget confirmation, or a clear timeline, are absent. For example, if a deal is at the proposal stage but lacks a confirmed budget or a clear next step, it may indicate a low likelihood of closing.
Slipping deals – Deals that were expected to close in the current quarter but are continuously pushed to future periods. This often signals a weak commitment from the prospect or a lack of urgency. If a deal has been marked as “Closing this month” for multiple months but keeps getting postponed, it’s a red flag.
Stalled deals – These are deals where there has been no recent engagement or progress. For instance, if a sales rep has sent a contract for signature but hasn’t received a response in weeks, the deal might be stuck due to internal decision-making delays or lack of buy-in from key stakeholders.
Stuck deals – These deals are trapped at a specific sales pipeline stage for too long. For example, a deal that has been sitting in the negotiation stage for 60 days (when the average sales cycle is 30 days) might indicate pricing concerns, procurement delays, or a loss of interest from the buyer.
Why it matters:
By tracking these high-risk deals, sales managers can proactively intervene, coach sales reps on next steps, and prioritize sales efforts on deals that can still be saved. Addressing risky deals early prevents revenue leakage, improves conversion rates, and ensures a more predictable sales pipeline.
For whom:
Sales managers to guide sales reps on high-priority opportunities and improve team performance.
Account executives to focus on reviving or closing deals that are stuck or slipping.
Revenue operations to refine pipeline management strategies and ensure accurate revenue forecasting.
5. Weighted Pipeline Report
Image Source: HubSpot
What it displays:
A forecast of expected revenue based on historical win rates, assigning probabilities to each deal in the sales funnel.
How it works:
Each deal stage is assigned a probability based on past conversion rates. The total pipeline value at each stage is multiplied by its probability to get an expected revenue contribution.
Formula:
Weighted Pipeline Value = (Stage 1 value × Probability) + (Stage 2 value × Probability) + ...
For example:
Demo stage: $200,000 × 25% = $50,000
Proposal stage: $150,000 × 50% = $75,000
Contracting stage: $100,000 × 75% = $75,000
Total weighted pipeline value = $200,000
Why it matters:
Provides a more accurate sales forecast, helping sales managers and finance teams predict future sales based on actual deal progression.
For whom:
Sales leadership to plan for revenue forecasting.
Finance teams to align revenue expectations.
6. Waterfall Analysis
Sales Pipeline Waterfall Analysis in Forecastio
What it displays:
Tracks how pipeline value changes over time by breaking it into specific components.
Components:
Starting pipeline value – The total pipeline value at the beginning of a period.
Pulled-in deals – Deals added to the sales pipeline during the period.
Pushed-out deals – Deals delayed or moved to future periods.
Lost deals – Deals that were marked as lost.
Closed-won deals – Deals that converted into won revenue.
Amount increased/decreased – Deals that changed in value due to pricing adjustments, discounts, or upsells.
Ending pipeline value - The total pipeline value at the end of a period.
Why it matters:
Helps sales managers track pipeline health, measure pipeline growth or shrinkage, and identify weaknesses in sales efforts.
For whom:
Sales managers to measure sales momentum.
RevOps teams to adjust forecasting and quota setting.
7. Pipeline Coverage Report
What it displays:
The ratio of pipeline value to sales targets, indicating whether there are enough deals to meet revenue goals.
Formula:
Pipeline Coverage Ratio = Total Pipeline Value ÷ Sales Target
How to calculate ideal pipeline coverage:
To determine if the sales pipeline is healthy, divide your sales target by your win rate.
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example:
Sales target = $1,000,000
Win rate = 25%
Ideal pipeline value = $1,000,000 ÷ 0.25 = $4,000,000
If your current pipeline value is below $4M, you need to focus on lead generation efforts to fill the pipeline.
Why it matters:
Ensures the sales team has enough pipeline coverage to hit quotas and supports realistic sales targets.
For whom:
Sales leaders to monitor quota attainment risks.
Revenue operations to fine-tune forecasting models.
8. Lost Deals Analysis
Image Source: ConnectedGTM
What it displays:
A breakdown of lost deals and the reasons they failed to close.
Why it matters:
Understanding why deals are lost helps refine sales strategies, improve sales team's performance, and uncover sales process weaknesses.
For whom:
Sales leadership to address recurring objections.
Product marketing teams to refine messaging and positioning.
9. Win/Loss Rate Report
What it displays:
The percentage of won vs. lost deals over a given period, indicating the overall success rate of the sales team.
Why it matters:
Tracking win/loss rates helps identify trends, measure team performance, and benchmark success against competitors.
For whom:
Sales leaders to gauge the effectiveness of the sales pipeline.
Revenue operations to analyze deal health and improve sales KPIs.
10. Sales Velocity Report
Sales Overview Dashboard in Forecastio
What it displays:
The speed at which deals move through the sales pipeline, factoring in a number of opportunities, average deal size, win rates, and sales cycle length.
Formula:
Sales Velocity = (Number of Opportunities × Average Deal Size × Win Rate) ÷ Average Sales Cycle Length
Why it matters:
Faster sales velocity means quicker revenue generation. Monitoring this metric helps optimize sales efforts and shorten deal velocity.
For whom:
Sales managers to improve sales activity and team performance.
RevOps teams to ensure efficient pipeline management.
Top Sales Pipeline Issues
Even with strong sales pipeline reports, sales teams often face overlooked risks that can disrupt pipeline management and lead to missed quotas. Identifying these challenges early allows sales managers to take corrective action and optimize sales processes for better sales performance. Here are the key sales pipeline issues that can impact revenue generation and sales targets:
1. Stalled Deals
What it is: Deals that remain in the same sales pipeline stage for too long without meaningful progress.
Why it matters: Stalled deals increase sales cycle length, reduce sales velocity, and lower overall conversion rates.
📌 Example: A prospect completes a demo but hasn’t responded to follow-ups for weeks. Without engagement, the deal may be at risk of slipping or being lost entirely.
How to fix it: Use a Risky Deals Report to identify and reactivate stalled deals with targeted outreach, revised offers, or escalation strategies.
2. Low Conversion Rates
What it is: A poor transition of deals from one pipeline stage to the next, leading to revenue loss.
Why it matters: Indicates inefficiencies in the sales process, such as weak qualification, lack of urgency, or poor follow-up strategies.
📌 Example: If only 30% of deals move from the proposal stage to negotiations, it suggests pricing objections or unclear value propositions.
How to fix it: Regularly analyze Pipeline Stage Conversion Reports and optimize sales efforts based on where the most drop-offs occur.
3. Over-Reliance on One Big Deal
What it is: Depending too heavily on a single large deal to meet quota instead of maintaining a balanced active pipeline.
Why it matters: If that deal falls through, the sales team may fail to meet revenue growth rate targets, causing forecasting instability.
📌 Example: A sales rep focuses all attention on a $500K deal, ignoring smaller deals. When the big deal is lost, there aren’t enough opportunities to compensate.
How to fix it: Maintain a healthy pipeline coverage ratio by distributing efforts across multiple deals and highest priority accounts.
4. Pipeline Clog from Unqualified Leads
What it is: Too many low-quality deals inflating pipeline value and creating false confidence in sales forecasts.
Why it matters: An overstuffed pipeline with low-probability deals distorts pipeline reports and wastes valuable sales team resources.
📌 Example: A marketing team generates a high number of leads, but most don’t have budget approval or decision-making power.
How to fix it: Strengthen lead qualification processes and track win/loss rates to ensure only quality leads enter the sales pipeline.
5. Lack of Pipeline Coverage
What it is: An insufficient number of deals in the sales pipeline to meet quota.
Why it matters: Without enough potential revenue, hitting sales targets becomes nearly impossible.
📌 Example: A sales team with a $1M quota but only $2M in pipeline value (when their win rate is 30%) is unlikely to succeed.
How to fix it: Use the Pipeline Coverage Report to calculate the ideal sales pipeline coverage:
Ideal Pipeline Value = Sales Target ÷ Win Rate
For example, if your sales target is $1M and your win rate is 25%, your pipeline should have at least $4M in opportunities.
6. Data Inaccuracy
What it is: Incorrect or outdated deal statuses, inaccurate sales stat tracking, or missing details leading to misleading reports.
Why it matters: Inaccurate data skews sales forecasting, making it difficult to plan future sales or allocate resources effectively.
📌 Example: A deal marked as "negotiation" that was actually lost three weeks ago inflates pipeline value and distorts revenue forecasting.
How to fix it: Conduct regular sales pipeline reviews, enforce strict data hygiene practices, and integrate sales tools that auto-update deal progress.
7. Poor Forecasting Methods
What it is: Not leveraging historical trends, win/loss data, and weighted sales forecasts to predict revenue accurately.
Why it matters: Leads to unrealistic sales targets, missed quotas, and revenue shortfalls.
📌 Example: A sales leader relies on gut feeling rather than using a Weighted Pipeline Report, resulting in an overestimated revenue projection.
How to fix it: Implement more accurate sales forecasts by using Weighted Pipeline Reports, Win/Loss Rate Reports, and historical conversion rates.
Conclusion
A data-driven approach to sales pipeline management is essential for sales managers and RevOps teams. By leveraging key pipeline reports, organizations can optimize deal flow, improve forecast accuracy, and eliminate bottlenecks that hinder growth.
Consistently monitoring the health of the pipeline allows sales teams to take proactive measures, ensuring sustainable revenue growth and higher win rates.
To take your sales pipeline management to the next level, ensure you’re tracking the right metrics and using actionable reports to drive continuous improvements.
Share:
Alex is the CEO at Forecastio, bringing over 15 years of experience as a seasoned B2B sales expert and leader in the tech industry. His expertise lies in streamlining sales operations, developing robust go-to-market strategies, enhancing sales planning and forecasting, and refining sales processes.
Alex is the CEO at Forecastio, bringing over 15 years of experience as a seasoned B2B sales expert and leader in the tech industry. His expertise lies in streamlining sales operations, developing robust go-to-market strategies, enhancing sales planning and forecasting, and refining sales processes.
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