Is your pipeline a pipe dream? Learn to spot the warning signs of 'zombie deals' and how to clean up your CRM for accurate forecasting.
1. Stalled Deals
If deals aren’t moving, your pipeline is misleading.
Track time in stage metrics and proactively engage stalled opportunities with value-based interventions.
2. Inflated Forecasts
Overestimation can cause missed targets.
Apply weighted pipeline calculations using historical conversion rates and deal health scoring.
3. Zombie Deals
Opportunities with no engagement yet still live in the CRM.
Audit your CRM regularly, and automatically flag or archive opportunities with no activity in the last 60–90 days.
4. Poor Lead Quality
Not all leads are created equal.
Implement predictive lead scoring and qualification frameworks to ensure only high-fit leads enter the pipeline.
5. Misaligned Metrics
Tracking vanity metrics instead of actionable KPIs can mislead leadership.
Focus on pipeline velocity, conversion rates per stage, and revenue impact instead of raw number of opportunities.
Conclusion
A healthy pipeline is transparent, data-driven, and constantly audited. Only then can your forecasts reflect reality and drive growth.