In many companies the weekly pipeline meeting is a round of status updates. Each seller reads their deals aloud, the manager nods, and nothing changes. A good pipeline review is different: it is a working session focused on the few deals where a decision this week changes the outcome.
A simple agenda
- Five minutes: the number. Commit, best case, and gap to target. No discussion yet.
- Twenty-five minutes: deals that move the number. Pick the three to five largest or riskiest opportunities. For each, ask what has to happen next and who owns it.
- Ten minutes: stalled deals. Anything past its stage benchmark gets a decision: re-engage, re-qualify, or remove.
- Five minutes: commitments. Every owner leaves with one action and a date.
Ask better questions
Replace "how's it going?" with questions that expose evidence. What problem did the buyer confirm in their own words? Who else is involved in the decision? What is the next meeting, and is it on the calendar? When sellers know these questions are coming, they prepare differently.
Keep it consistent
The power of a pipeline review comes from rhythm. Same day, same time, same agenda. After a month, your team starts running their own deals against the questions before the meeting, which is exactly the behavior you want.
We start by understanding where revenue is stuck, then scope the work to fit.
