How to run a pipeline review
A pipeline review is a recurring working session where a manager and rep inspect open deals to keep the forecast honest and unstick stalled opportunities. Done well it takes 30 minutes and ends with clear next steps; done badly it turns into a status update where reps read their pipeline aloud.
Short answer
Run a pipeline review by prepping the data first, then working the list deal by deal with three questions: is this in the right stage, what is the next step and its date, and is the close date real. Keep it to 30 minutes, focus on movement not deal count, and end with committed actions.
Step by step
Prep the data before the meeting
Sort the pipeline by close date and flag anything stale, missing a next step, or stuck in-stage past its average. Reviewing clean data is the whole game; do not spend live time on cleanup.
Open with the number, not the deals
Start by comparing committed forecast to quota and coverage to target. This frames whether the problem is a few big deals or a thin top of funnel.
Work the deals that have not moved
Skip the healthy deals and spend time on stalls. For each, ask: right stage, real next step with a date, and is the close date defensible or a guess.
- Wrong stage: correct it and note why
- No next step: book one before the call ends
- Fake close date: push it to a date the buyer confirmed
Pressure-test the commits
For every deal in the commit forecast, confirm the champion, the economic buyer, and the paper path. A commit without a named economic buyer is a hope, not a commit.
Assign actions and end on time
Every stalled deal leaves the review with an owner, an action, and a date. Capture them in the CRM, not a notebook, and hold the rep to them next week.
Common mistakes
Letting the review become a report-out where the rep narrates every deal. Managers should drive, focusing only on risk and movement.
Reviewing dirty data. If half the time goes to fixing stages and dates, the review has no time left to actually coach deals forward.
How Ardovo helps
Ardovo pre-builds the review: Rook surfaces stalled deals, missing next steps, and close dates that slipped, so you walk in with the exception list already made. Actions logged in the review become tracked tasks, and next week Rook tells you which ones actually happened.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I run a pipeline review?
Weekly for individual reps in most transactional and mid-market teams, and monthly at the team or region level for a wider view. High-velocity teams sometimes review twice a week; long enterprise cycles can go biweekly.
What is the difference between a pipeline review and a deal review?
A pipeline review inspects the whole set of open deals for coverage, movement, and forecast risk. A deal review goes deep on one strategic opportunity, its stakeholders, and its close plan. Use pipeline reviews for breadth, deal reviews for depth.
How long should a pipeline review take?
About 30 minutes per rep. If it runs longer, you are either reviewing dirty data or narrating healthy deals. Prep the data beforehand and spend live time only on stalls and commits.
What questions should I ask in a pipeline review?
Is the deal in the right stage, what is the specific next step and its date, is the close date something the buyer confirmed, and who is the economic buyer. Those four questions expose most forecast risk.