Professional services firms are facing a pipeline paradox: more leads aren’t translating into revenue. The problem isn’t getting leads—it’s getting them through your pipeline efficiently. Here’s how to change that. 

Leads are getting stuck. Plain and simple.  

Over the past few months, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with clients and others in the industry about their pipelines. A lot of people are feeling the same thing….like their sales pipeline is more of a traffic jam and their forecasting is thrown off for the end of the year.  

As a marketing leader, you’ve probably experienced that familiar feeling: leads getting stuck, deals moving at a glacial pace, and your business development team giving you that “these leads aren’t working” look. But before you can fix the issue, you need to know exactly where the bottlenecks are. 

Do the Math to Understand Your Firms’ Pipeline Velocity

Let’s start with a simple truth: you can’t improve what you don’t measure. Pipeline velocity isn’t just another buzzword – it’s your GPS for revenue growth. Here’s the formula: 

 Pipeline Velocity = (# of Opportunities × Avg. Deal Value × Win Rate) ÷ Sales Cycle Length 

 Simple, right? Well, maybe not at first glance, but trust me – understanding this formula is like having a superpower in today’s complex marketing landscape. But once you’ve done the math, you can make the changes necessary.  

 4 Quick Fixes to Increase Your Pipeline Velocity

Look, I get it. Something that claims to be a “quick fix” is never actually a “quick fix.” When it comes to marketing, fixes usually lead to organizational and cultural changes of how a marketing unit operates, interacts with other departments at the firm, etc.   

But stick with me here – these aren’t your typical “turn it off and on again” solutions. These are practical fixes I’ve seen work time and time again with real companies facing real pipeline gridlock.  

#1 – Overcome the “Sales vs. Marketing War” Syndrome 

Better collaboration leads to more revenue, plain and simple. Remember that game of telephone you played as a kid? That’s what happens when sales and marketing teams aren’t aligned. One team says, “hot lead,” the other hears “not dead.” Your carefully crafted marketing message gets lost in translation faster than your morning coffee gets cold. And as a father of two kids under 5, my coffee is usually cold by the time I drink it…which might be the only thing that I despise more than traffic jams.  

Your Quick Fix: Create a shared lead scoring system that both teams actually use (revolutionary concept, I know). Collaborate on marketing activations and sales decks. Make your handoff process smoother than a freshly waxed floor – but with fewer slip-ups. 

#2 – Avoid the “One-Size-Fits-None” Approach 

If you’re still sending the same generic email to everyone in your database, we need to talk. That’s like using a megaphone in a library – you might be loud, but you’re not being effective. With so much noise in inboxes and across marketing campaigns in general, personalization wins.  

Your Quick Fix: Embrace personalization like it’s your new best friend. Use data and automation to create tailored experiences. Remember, you’re talking to actual humans, not just email addresses in a database. Shocking, I know, but I’d like to be known for something more than atwining@rattleback.com. 

#3 – Shake Off the “Deer in Headlights” Effect 

Decision paralysis is real, and it’s probably affecting your prospects right now. We’re seeing more firms frozen in place than a game of musical statues. There’s a saying I always reference, “More is lost by indecision than wrong decision” from Marcus Tullius Cicero (yes, I had to Google who that was…hey, I just have always liked the quote), that rings true 90% of the time in marketing. Make. A. Decision. 

Your Quick Fix: Implement lead nurturing workflows that keep your prospects moving forward. Think of it as giving them a gentle nudge instead of a forceful push. Nobody likes being pushed – just ask anyone who’s been stuffed in a mosh pit at a concert.  

#4 – Fix the “This Is Harder Than Assembling IKEA Furniture” Journey 

We’ve all been there – trying to buy something and thinking, “This is way harder than it needs to be.” Or my personal favorite: clicking “Schedule a Demo” only to be ambushed by a sales call before seeing anything. It’s like ordering dessert and having to pass an interview first. 

Your Quick Fix: Map out your buyer’s journey. Ask yourself “how easy is it to hire us?” Then eliminate as many unnecessary friction points as you can. 

Time to Get Your Pipeline Moving

The good news? Once you understand your pipeline velocity, you can start making data-driven decisions that actually work.  

Here’s what happens when you get it right: 

• Your business development and marketing teams collaborate better 

• Leads move through your pipeline faster 

• Your forecasting becomes more accurate 

• Resources get allocated where they actually make a difference 

Ready to Calculate Your Pipeline Velocity?  

Don’t let this article be just another tab you leave open until your browser crashes.  

Remember, the first step to fixing a traffic jam is admitting you have one. The second step? Actually, doing something about it. Your future self (and your revenue) will thank you. As always, we are here to help.