Pipeline Discipline: Definitions That Reduce Leakage

• • What counts as qualified?
• • What evidence is required?
• • Who owns the next action?

An example that works

• • SQL entry: pain is stated, a next step is agreed, and a timeline exists
• • SQL exit to opportunity: decision maker identified and a mutual plan exists
• • Stage exit always requires: owner + next step + date

The fastest way to lose pipeline is slow follow-up. A simple SLA plus reporting changes behavior quickly.

Define SLAs by lead type

• • Hot hand-raise: same day
• • Event conversation: within 24–48h
• • Partner referral: within 24h (partner trust is fragile)
• • Cold outbound reply: within 24h (momentum matters)

A definitions document should be short enough that a rep will actually use it. If it is longer than one page, it becomes a policy document, not a tool.

• • Stages and criteria (entry, exit, required fields)
• • What counts as pipeline, and what does not
• • Handoff rules (marketing to sales, SDR to AE, partner to AE)
• • Follow-up SLAs and how they are measured
• • Examples: 3 real records annotated as “good”

Discipline becomes real when it is a cadence, not a training. Keep it small and consistent.

• • Review a small sample (10 records) and coach on definitions
• • Fix the root cause: which field, which stage, which handoff broke
• • Agree 1 change for next week (definition tweak or enablement asset)

• • Make definitions easy to find (one doc, not tribal knowledge)
• • Coach on examples (“this is SQL”, “this is not”) instead of policing
• • Review a small sample weekly and fix the root cause (not just the record)

The culture point

Treat hygiene as a team habit that protects everyone’s time. Pipeline discipline is not bureaucracy. It is the difference between learning and repeating mistakes.