A sales pipeline is a visual representation of your sales process. Salespeople and their managers rely on the sales pipeline to prioritize accounts,... keep deals moving, and forecast revenue.

Companies typically visualize their pipeline using different stages. They then layer in data such as expected close date, deal size, and sales rep to get a fuller picture. Without this, you may lack valuable insights about how effective your sales process is and where your deals are at any given time.

Below, we’ll dive deeper into the sales pipeline -including how it affects your business, its various stages, and how a pipeline differs from the sales funnel (another phrase that salespeople love).The sales pipeline visualizes the buyer’s journey from a salesperson’s perspective, tracking open deals from start to close.

Meanwhile, the sales funnel visualizes the buyer’s journey from the prospect’s perspective. The funnel shape represents how qualified leads follow the sales process. more

A sales pipeline is the sales rep's view and process to close the deal, the entire workings from initializations to engagement, while the sales funnel... is the customer's view of their buyer's journey and the phases they pass through until they decide to buy. more