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Also known as: sales cycle length

Sales Cycle

ConceptualSalesMetrics

Definition

Sales Cycle: The sales cycle is the time from first contact with a prospect to closing the deal. It includes stages like prospecting, discovery, demo, proposal, negotiation, and close. Enterprise sales cycles can be 6-12+ months while SMB cycles are often 1-4 weeks.

Example Usage

β€œWe shortened our enterprise sales cycle from 9 to 6 months by improving discovery calls.”

Common Misconceptions

Shorter is always better. Rushing complex deals can hurt close rates.
Sales cycles are predictable. They vary significantly by deal size and buyer.
The sales cycle starts at demo. It starts at first meaningful contact.

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