Sales Cycle
From first contact to signed contract—how long does it take? And what are the steps? The sales cycle is the time and steps from first contact to closed deal. A short cycle means you can turn leads into revenue quickly; a long cycle means you need a larger pipeline to hit the same number of closes per month. Understanding your sales cycle helps you plan capacity, follow-up, and revenue.
Same close rate, different cycle. Two coaches each close 4 clients per month. One has a 2-week cycle: lead → discovery → proposal → close in 10–14 days. The other has a 6-week cycle: multiple stakeholders, a pilot, then a decision. The first needs fewer leads in the pipeline at any time to hit 4 closes; the second needs more leads in flight because each one takes longer. Sales cycle length determines how many leads you need to maintain revenue. It pairs with your funnel and conversion rate: cycle × conversion × pipeline size = closes.
How long from "hello" to "signed"? That number drives how big your pipeline needs to be and how you follow up.
What affects cycle length
Your process. If you take 2 weeks to send a proposal after the discovery call, the cycle stretches. If you follow up once and then go quiet, deals slip. Tightening the process—clear next steps, timely proposals, consistent follow-up—shortens the cycle without changing the product.
The buyer. Some clients decide in one conversation; others need to loop in a board or a partner. Enterprise and high-ticket often mean longer cycles. You can't always shorten the buyer side, but you can shorten your side (response time, proposal speed, clarity) so you're not the delay.
Fit and qualification. When you're talking to the wrong people, the cycle feels long because many leads never convert. Lead qualification and a clear ideal client profile mean you're spending time on leads who can actually close—which can shorten the effective cycle (fewer dead ends).
How to measure and use it
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Measure. For the last 10–20 closed deals, note: date of first contact (or first meaningful contact) and date of signature. Average the difference. That's your sales cycle length (e.g. 28 days).
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Work backward from revenue. If you want 4 new clients per month and your cycle is 4 weeks, you need enough leads in the pipeline so that 4 close each month. With a conversion rate from lead to close of 20%, you need ~20 new qualified leads per month entering the funnel. Cycle and conversion tell you pipeline size.
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Shorten your part. Send proposals within 48 hours. Follow up at defined intervals (e.g. day 4, day 7). Have a clear next step after every call. You may not control the client's internal process, but you can avoid being the bottleneck.