Forecasting accuracy fails when based on a seller's checklist of actions like "proposal sent." Instead, define sales stages by concrete buyer actions, like the number of stakeholders involved or if they've reviewed a proposal. This provides a more realistic view of a deal's health.

Go beyond obvious metrics. Measure rep confidence—their belief and authenticity on calls—as a leading indicator of success. Also, measure velocity as the reduction of friction across the entire customer journey, from lead to successful onboarding, not just a simplistic 'time-to-close' metric. These qualitative measures are key.

Traditional CRM stages reflect seller activities (e.g., demoed, proposal sent). The ADVANCED framework (Acknowledge problem, Documented issue, Validated by team, etc.) tracks the buyer's journey and commitment level. This provides a more accurate assessment of a deal's true progress and likelihood to close.

Shift from a process defined by meetings (Discovery, Demo) to one defined by milestones (Problem Agreement, Priority Agreement). This prevents artificially slowing down high-velocity deals or rushing complex ones, as the number of meetings required to reach each agreement can vary.

Frame your sales stages around the decisions you need from a prospect (a 'get'), not the tasks you must complete (a 'do'). For example, the goal isn't 'do a demo,' it's 'get agreement that you're the vendor of choice.' This encourages creativity and efficiency, preventing unnecessary activities.

Frame the sales process as a series of small commitments. The objective of a prospecting call is to book the first meeting. The entire objective of that first meeting is then to earn the right to have a second meeting. This simplifies the goal and focuses on building momentum.

To avoid stalled deals, continuously test the prospect's engagement. If a stakeholder consistently fails to meet small commitments—like providing requested information on time—it is a strong indicator that the deal is not a priority for them and is at high risk of stalling.

Move beyond measuring only conversations and booked meetings. A key metric for sales leaders should be the number of contact status changes an SDR makes daily. This KPI quantifies progress in the "gray area," showing that conversations are leading to concrete next steps, even if they aren't immediate meetings.

Don't measure deal progress by the number of meetings held. Instead, define specific exit criteria for each sales stage. A deal only moves forward when the prospect meets these criteria, which can happen with or without a live meeting. This reframes velocity around outcomes, not activities.