What is Days to Close?
Days to close zooms in on the back half of the cycle: given where a deal is now, how many days until it typically signs.
Measured from each stage, it lets you project a realistic close date for any deal based on its current position, not just an overall average.
Short answer
Days to close is the number of elapsed days from a reference point, often a deal entering a specific stage, until it closes won. Unlike overall cycle length, it can be measured from any stage, so you can estimate how long a deal in Proposal typically takes to close. This granularity makes close-date projections more precise than a single cycle average.
Key takeaways
- Elapsed days from a reference point to close.
- Can be measured from any stage.
- More granular than overall cycle length.
- Sharpens close-date projections.
Why it matters
A single cycle average cannot tell you when a deal already in Negotiation will close. Days-to-close from each stage gives a stage-aware projection, producing far more accurate close dates and forecasts.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo measures days to close from every stage by segment, so Rook can project a realistic close date for any deal based on its current stage and flag dates that defy your historical pace.
Frequently asked questions
What is days to close?
It is the number of elapsed days from a reference point, often a deal entering a specific stage, until it closes won. Measured from any stage, it estimates how long a deal in that stage typically takes to close.
How is days to close different from cycle length?
Cycle length usually measures the whole journey from start to close. Days to close can be measured from any point, such as from the Proposal stage, giving a more granular, stage-aware basis for projecting close dates.
Why measure days to close by stage?
Because a deal already in Negotiation should be dated on how long deals typically take from Negotiation, not on the full cycle average. Stage-specific days to close makes close-date projection and forecasting more accurate.