Glossary · B2BTOFU
Pipeline
The short answer
In B2B, the pipeline is the set of open sales opportunities and their potential value, organised by stage — from first qualified conversation to proposal to negotiation.
"Marketing-sourced pipeline" is the value of opportunities that originated from marketing. It's a better measure of B2B marketing than lead counts, because it reflects deal size and real sales interest.
Pipeline metrics
- Pipeline generated — new opportunity value created in a period
- Pipeline coverage — pipeline value relative to revenue target
- Pipeline velocity — how fast deals move through stages
- Win rate — share of opportunities that close
In practice
For B2B campaigns, we report marketing-sourced pipeline alongside cost per opportunity and win rate by source. A campaign that produces fewer leads but more pipeline value is the better campaign — even if its cost per lead looks worse.
Pipeline velocity formula
Pipeline velocity = (number of opportunities × average deal value × win rate) ÷ sales cycle length in days.
Example: 40 opportunities × ₹5,00,000 × 25% ÷ 60 days ≈ ₹83,000 of revenue per day. Improving any input raises velocity.
Pipeline in practice
A B2B company's marketing generates 40 qualified opportunities worth ₹2 crore in potential deals this quarter — its marketing-sourced pipeline.
Common pipeline mistakes
- Counting unqualified opportunities
- Not tracking source of pipeline
- Ignoring velocity
Frequently asked questions
How long before marketing shows up in pipeline?
It depends on your sales cycle. Leading indicators like meetings booked and MQL-to-SQL conversion help in the meantime.
What is pipeline velocity?
A measure of how quickly opportunities turn into revenue — typically combining the number of opportunities, average deal value and win rate, divided by sales cycle length.
What's the difference between sourced and influenced pipeline?
Sourced pipeline began with a marketing touch; influenced pipeline had marketing touches at any point.
How long does marketing take to show in pipeline?
Usually one sales cycle or more, depending on deal complexity.
Should marketing be measured on pipeline?
For B2B, pipeline and revenue are better measures than lead volume.
Related terms
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