sales
Sales Cycle
Average time from first sales conversation to closed deal.
Definition
Sales cycle length is the median (not mean - outliers skew the mean) days from first qualified sales conversation to closed deal. For B2B services, typical cycles run 30-90 days. Long cycles aren't inherently bad - enterprise sales are longer by nature - but cycle drift (your 60-day cycle becoming 90) is a warning sign. Shorten cycles by improving discovery (qualify better upfront) and tightening proposal-to-close (faster follow-up, clearer next steps).
In your business
- →Track median cycle length monthly - watch for drift
- →Shorten the cycle by improving discovery, not by pressuring close
- →Different segments often have different cycles - track separately