Ideal Sales Process and Weekly Metrics

Day 6 of 30 · B2B Sales 2026 Masterclass

Define lead/SQL/qualified discovery, set a weekly measurement sheet, and pick the bottleneck.


Learning Goal

  • Define: lead, SQL, qualified discovery.
  • Build a weekly sheet (stage conversion, cycle time, win rate, pipeline coverage).
  • Select 3 metrics to improve.

Why It Matters

  • Without measurement, the pipeline stays opinion-based.
  • Weekly rhythm gives fast feedback on focus and quality.
  • You surface the bottleneck (stage or quality).

Explanation

Definitions

  • Lead: minimum data + relevant context.
  • SQL: ICP + pain + reachable decision maker + trigger.
  • Qualified discovery: pain, impact, decision process, next step captured.

Measurement

  • Stage conversion: Lead→SQL, SQL→Discovery, Discovery→Proposal, Proposal→Close.
  • Stage cycle time.
  • Win rate, pipeline coverage (3–4x).
  • Lost reasons coded (top 5).

Examples

Bad: Only counting calls; you can’t see where the pipeline breaks.

Good: Weekly dashboard: stage conversions, cycle times, win rate, lost reasons; one bottleneck selected.


Guided Exercise (10–15 minutes)

  1. Write the 3 definitions (lead, SQL, qualified discovery) in team language.
  2. Create a weekly sheet: stage conversions, cycle times, win rate, pipeline coverage, top 5 lost reasons.
  3. Pick the biggest bottleneck.

Independent Exercise (5–10 minutes)

Pick one metric and write an action to improve it (e.g., tighten SQL definition, expand discovery questions).


Self-check

  • Lead/SQL/discovery definitions are written.
  • Weekly measurement sheet exists.
  • Bottleneck identified.
  • An action to improve is written.

Optional Deep Dive