The Sales Pyramid: 3 Signals You Can't Ignore

Managing a sales team as an early-stage founder can feel overwhelming.

But there's a secret I've learned from years of experience: three critical signals will tell you whether your sales team is thriving or headed for trouble.

Think of your sales process as a pyramid:

• Activities (calls, emails, LinkedIn messages).

• Pipeline Creation (qualified opportunities).

• Closed Won Deals (signed contracts, revenue).

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These signals must be tracked rigorously and in precisely that order. Many founders mistakenly focus only on the bottom line. 👀

While closed won is vital, it's not the whole story.

1. Activities

Activities refer to the calls, emails, LinkedIn messages, and other human interactions that your team initiates to open opportunities.

This doesn't include automated emails or sequences.

If your activities slow down, your entire pyramid becomes unstable.

Activities are your leading indicator; they tell you today what your pipeline will look like tomorrow.

Without consistent activity, everything else crumbles.

Tip:

• Track activities daily.

• Set clear targets and expectations for your sales team.

• Create simple systems to log these activities in your CRM and review them consistently.

2. Pipeline Creation

Pipeline creation means qualified opportunities.

You don't create a new opportunity immediately after a conversation.

You first thoroughly qualify the prospect, then officially open the deal in your CRM. You can use BANT or any other qualification method.

Tip:

• Have weekly pipeline reviews.

• Make pipeline creation visible, with reporting, and celebrate it within your team.

3. Closed Won Deals

Closed Won deals translate into revenue.

The most common way to track this is through signed contracts or countersigned order forms.

However, never let success at this level cause complacency in activities or pipeline creation.

If you see revenue slowing, immediately check your pipeline and activities - chances are, you'll find the root cause.

Tip:

• Stay laser-focused on your monthly revenue goals

• Build systems and automations to keep your team informed about your progress toward achieving your goal.

How to Spot Trouble Before It Happens

Ideally, all three signals - Activities, Pipeline Creation, and Closed Won - should be consistently healthy.

Realistically, there will be times when your team excels in closing deals, leading to a brief slowdown in activities or pipeline creation, especially later in the month.

That can be acceptable temporarily, but never sustainable.

The real danger zone is this cycle:

No Closed Won Deals → No Pipeline Creation → No Activities 💀

If you hit this point, you're in serious trouble.

The solution:

• Systems: Create simple processes that consistently track and reinforce all three metrics.

• Culture: Build a culture where your salespeople are deeply aware of and responsible for each of these key signals.

Remember, your salespeople inherently want to succeed.

They want to close deals, generate pipelines, and drive results.

As a founder or sales leader, you must give them a clear structure and an inspiring culture to achieve it.

Take these three signals seriously, build systems around them, and you'll transform your sales team's potential into consistent, high-performance results.

Thanks for reading this far, and happy Easter to you all! 🐣