Sales Funnel Health Analysis

"Our funnel is completely clogged, and our CEO and investors are starting to panic," shared a CMO from a $375MM SaaS firm. The other Huddlers sympathized, noting they were facing similar challenges. Sound familiar? The old playbook of flooding the funnel, scoring MQLs, and handing off to sales isn't just broken; it's toxic. Here's why your funnel is clogged and what actually works now: 1. Your data is a disaster. The average customer contact database health score? A pathetic 47%, according to research from BoomerangAI. More than half of B2B companies haven't updated their database in six months—or ever. Bad data isn't just an operational issue. It erodes every layer of your funnel. Fix this first. Assign database ownership cross-functionally. Tie enrichment to your GTM motions. And please activate alumni contact programs. Only 12% of companies have formal programs for contacts who left employers, yet they're gold mines. 2. You're still pitching tours when buyers want tools. Recent TrustRadius research shows that 52% of buyers say prior experience is their #1 decision input. Only 13% say a demo "blew them away." 3. Stop the demo obsession. Launch website-based product exploration tools. Add pricing guidance. Create modular content for AI summarization since 90% of buyers who see AI-generated summaries click through to cited sources. 4. The MQL addiction is killing you. As one CMO put it: "MQLs are problematic... we’re trying to figure out how to get fewer, better leads." Track conversion quality at each funnel stage. Hold weekly demand gen and sales alignment meetings. Ditch vanity metrics for outcome-based KPIs. 5. You're pitching spend instead of displacement. Few CFOs are greenlighting net-new spending, but they will approve reallocation when the ROI is crystal clear. Reframe your pitch: "Invest in this → reduce spend on that." Connect to CFO logic, not just user pain. 6. You're making promises instead of proving value. Buyers want proof in 120 days or less. The "trust us, it'll pay off eventually" era is dead. If you have the data, create 120-day value realization case studies. Use prospect data to build "speed-to-value" narratives. Lead with time-to-value, not feature lists. The companies unclogging their funnels aren't working harder—they're working smarter. They've ditched the old playbook for data-driven precision. Your move. PS - For a longer look at this issue, please check out my May 2025 #HuddleUp newsletter.

Stop guessing what drives your B2B SaaS. Start measuring what matters. Your data stack might be complex, but are you tracking the metrics that actually drive commercial success? Here are 8 essential analyses that turn your data into opportunities: → 1. Track MRR Movements Don't just look at total revenue. Break down exactly where money is gained or lost monthly. Segment by industry, country, and company size to spot patterns. → 2. Build a Management Dashboard Keep leadership focused on key metrics that indicate business health. No fluff, just the numbers that matter. → 3. Segment Customer Groups Break down MRR by customer segments to identify your growth engines and problem areas. Use drill-downs to get region-specific insights. → 4. Compare Expansions vs. Churn Measure the battle between growth (expansions) and decline (churn/contractions). This reveals your true growth dynamics. → 5. Monitor Net Revenue Retention Track how customer spending evolves over time - your clearest indicator of product-market fit and customer success. → 6. Watch Account Movements Keep a real-time pulse on which accounts are growing or shrinking. React quickly to both opportunities and risks. → 7. Predict Churn Give your customer success team early warning signals so they can focus on the right accounts at the right time. → 8. Optimize Your Funnel Help marketing and sales teams identify and eliminate conversion bottlenecks. The goal isn't just collecting data - it's getting insights that lead to more ARR. Here's how these analyses look in action ↓

Sales leaders: Ask your RevOps team to prepare these 8 pipeline metrics for better visibility. RevOps: Prepare these metrics for your sales leaders (they'll love you). 𝟭. 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 = total # of new sales opportunities 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: A steady flow of new opps is the lifeblood of pipeline health. If this number drops, your revenue goals may be at risk. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Weekly, monthly, quarterly — broken down by lead source, segment, and channel to identify where growth/slowdown is happening. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 = total value of open deals 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: Helps gauge whether you have enough pipeline coverage to hit targets. Common benchmark: 3-5x quota. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: By stage, forecast category, and time period to see trends and shortfalls. 𝟯. 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 = pipeline value adjusted by stage probability 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: Not all pipeline is created equal—$1M in early-stage deals is less valuable than $500K in late-stage deals. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Segmented by stage, forecast category, and time period. 𝟰. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 = % of deals that move from one stage to the next 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: Pinpoints pipeline bottlenecks. If too many deals stall at a stage, it signals a process issue. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: By segment, geo, team, and rep to identify friction points in the funnel. Add movement over time for more sophistication. 𝟱. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 = % of deals in a stage that eventually close-won 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: High win rates in later stages indicate strong deal qualification; low rates mean late-stage drop-offs. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Monitor trends over time across segments, geo, reps, and teams to identify inconsistencies. 𝟲. 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 = how long deals spend in each stage 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: If deals get stuck, reps may need better enablement. Or buyers may not be seeing enough urgency. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: By segment, team, and deal type to find out where deals slow down. 𝟳. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 = total time from opportunity creation to closed-won 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: Faster cycles mean more efficiency and higher revenue velocity. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: By segment, deal size, geo, team. SMB deals often close in up to 60 days; enterprise takes 6+ months. If cycles lengthen, find out why. 𝟴. 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 = tracks pipeline changes and trends over time 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴: This is the big-picture view of pipeline health. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬: Start pipeline value, then track changes (created, won, lost, pulled-in, slipped), then end value. Which metrics would you add? 👇 _____ PS: We built Weflow to give you full visibility into pipeline health (think Clari at 50% of the cost). Ping me if you want to learn more.

Revolutionizing Sales Analysis: A Power BI Integration Success Story I want to share the exciting results of our recent integration project with the sales force, aimed at providing comprehensive insights into the sales funnel through dynamic dashboards. Harnessing the advanced functionalities of Power BI, we've used strategic tool to monitor and track operational metrics seamlessly. Here's a glimpse into what we've achieved: Key Funnel Indicators at a Glance: At the heart of our dashboard lies a set of key indicators, including the number of leads, opportunities, and closed deals, categorized into inbound and outbound. For a holistic view, we've incorporated data spanning across planning, quarter-on-quarter, and year-over-year periods. Detailed Funnel Analysis: Delving deeper, users can explore the sales funnel breakdown by each traffic source, enabling a granular examination of conversion metrics. Our dynamic graph allows for easy switching between various stages of the funnel, from lead to MQL, meetings, opportunities, and closed deals. Flexible Analysis Options: With the ability to adjust the level of detail from daily to quarterly views, our dashboard accommodates varying analysis needs. Users can tailor their analysis depth based on specific requirements, ensuring flexibility and precision in decision-making. Streamlined Visualization* Through iterative redesign phases, we've streamlined the visualization process to present complex data in a user-friendly format. From bar charts to line graphs, simplicity reigns supreme, ensuring that insights are easily digestible and actionable. This project exemplifies our commitment to delivering actionable insights in the most intuitive manner possible. We've prioritized clarity and usability, catering to the daily needs of our team for quick, informed decision-making. What are your thoughts on our approach? I'd love to hear your feedback and insights!

How do you uncover the blind spots in your marketing performance? Every year, it’s good practice to get a health check on your paid media, content, and funnel optimisation. SaaS marketers are under more pressure than ever to prove they’re impacting the bottom line, identifying what works (and what doesn’t) is essential. This week, we’re conducting full-funnel marketing audits for two B2B SaaS clients. Here’s how we do it: 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁: 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆. Be upfront about what’s working and what isn’t. If something’s delivering results, we’ll call it out. A good audit isn’t about tearing everything down—it’s about building on what’s already strong. When I was a client, one thing that annoyed me most was agencies that loved to point out the flaws of the incumbent. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and it misses the bigger picture. We break down each audit by these three components, and in this order: 1.       𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 The data doesn’t lie. We analyse whether your marketing is effectively reaching the right audience, driving meaningful engagement, and influencing the pipeline. We break this down by funnel stages, where marketing’s role evolves, such as awareness versus conversion. 2.       𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 Once we understand performance, we dig into the content. Using engagement metrics, we identify which messages, stories, and assets resonate with your audience, and which content is driving the major bumps in your funnel across channels like social, website, and email. 3.       𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 It’s critical to get the basics right. This includes ensuring targeting, retargeting, budgeting, bid-strategies, insight tracking, and funnel optimisation are functioning as they should. Some agencies overemphasise technical flaws to label “bad performance,” but this isn’t always the biggest needle-mover. With a holistic view, we uncover messaging that resonates, content that drives engagement, and gaps in your funnel that need addressing. The goal is to influence your pipeline, not just chase tactical success metrics. Just like you would with a good doctor, every B2B SaaS should get their annual health check for a fresh perspective. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯? Casper, Ethan, Meg Parker, Amanda, Frederik, Johannes, Peter, Edin

Dive into funnel analytics—a critical tool for any sales team looking to boost their performance and close more deals. Understanding your customer's journey through the sales funnel isn't just useful; it's a strategic necessity. 🎯 What is Funnel Analytics? Funnel analytics involves a detailed examination of each step a customer takes from initial contact to final sale. This method helps you understand and optimize every phase of the customer’s journey, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks. 🛠️ Addressing Sales Pain Points: Navigating the sales funnel can be complex, with potential customers dropping off at various stages. By leveraging funnel analytics, you can: Identify where you lose the most prospects. Assess the impact of your engagement strategies. Pinpoint unclear steps that prevent prospects from moving forward. Addressing these issues allows you to refine your approach, ensuring a smoother, more efficient funnel that maximizes conversions and boosts your sales revenue. 📊 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): To measure the effectiveness of your sales funnel, consider these crucial KPIs: Conversion Rate: The percentage of prospects who move to the next stage of the funnel. Time to Convert: The duration it takes for a prospect to progress from the first touchpoint to a closed deal. Drop-off Rate: The percentage of prospects who exit the funnel at each stage. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The overall cost of acquiring a new customer. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The total revenue a customer is expected to generate during their relationship with your company. 🌟 Why It's a Game-Changer: Imagine you’re managing sales in a high-end B2B software company. By analyzing your sales funnel, you discover that a significant number of prospects drop off at the demo stage. Perhaps the demo fails to address key concerns, or it’s too generic. With this insight, you can customize your demos to better meet the needs of your prospects, drastically improving conversion rates and demonstrating the power of precise, data-driven adjustments. 💥 Conclusion: Funnel analytics goes beyond mere data collection—it's about making that data actionable. By translating insights into strategic actions, you can dramatically enhance your sales processes and drive substantial business growth. Don't miss out on the opportunity to refine your sales strategy and achieve better results. #SalesStrategy #FunnelAnalytics #DataDrivenSales #SalesManagement

A client recently came to me and said:
 “Our pipeline is broken. We need more leads.” But when we dug in, it wasn’t a lead problem.
It was a positioning problem. Most teams don’t actually know why they win or lose deals.
They guess. They assume. They blame reps performance. Here’s the truth:
 Pipeline health isn’t just about leads at the top.
It’s about clarity of message all the way through. And the starting point to sharpen that clarity? → Run a Win/Loss Analysis Here’s my workflow: Step 1. Internal research
 → Gather your Gong Attention Fathom.ai transcripts → Closed won. Closed lost. Renewals. Churn.
 → You have the knowledge. Just know where to look. Step 2. Combine insights → Extract structured insights and snippets from your recordings → Pain, objections, competitors — in their own words.
 → Dig into CRM data (ARR, deal stage, time-to-close, lead source, etc.).
 → Spot patterns, ICP-fit, and leaks. Step 3. Align all your GTM teams → Marketing → which campaigns bring ICP-fit leads.
 → Sales → objections they battle daily.
 → CS → why customers stay or churn.
 → Execs → the big picture view. Step 4. Re-focus your ICP → Turn your findings into a narrowed down ICP → Try not to appeal to everyone Step 5. Refine your positioning accordingly → ICP, alternatives, pain points, capabilities, differentiation → Double down on where you win → Exclude the rest BONUS: with Octave, you can do it VERY quickly and easily ;) Step 6. Roll out your new positioning 
→ Update homepage copy → Equip sales with battlecards → Refresh nurture sequences → Ship new lead magnets BONUS: use Gamma, Lovable, Claude to roll things out FAST! __ Because when messaging is strong →
 → You attract better leads
 → Deals move faster
 → Teams align
 → You stop competing on price When messaging is weak →
 → You clog the funnel
 → Sales cycles drag
 → You get commoditized
 → Internal blame games explode __ Messaging isn’t just copy.
 It’s the infrastructure of your GTM engine. Get it wrong → pipeline breaks.
 Get it right → pipeline compounds.→