Sales cycle length
How long a deal takes from first qualified contact to signature.
01 What it is
Why anyone looks at this number
How long a deal takes from first qualified contact to signature.
It sets how far ahead you must generate demand, and it is the multiplier on every pipeline calculation. It also lengthens quietly when buying committees grow.
02 The formula
How it is worked out
Sales cycle length = mean(close_date − created_date) for won opportunities grain : quarter × segment × deal size band unit : days source : CRM
Measure won deals only, and from a consistent starting stage. Counting from lead creation mixes marketing nurture time into the sales cycle and makes the number unusable.
03 Worked example
The same number, with real inputs
| Median days to close, enterprise | 148 |
| Median days, mid-market | 61 |
| Calculation | — |
| Result | 148 vs 61 days |
Enterprise deals need demand generated five months ahead. Planning both segments on one average leaves the enterprise pipeline permanently short.
04 What moves it
Four things that actually change this number
Deal size
Larger deals mean more approvers and longer cycles, almost linearly.
Number of decision makers
Each additional approver adds calendar time, not effort.
Procurement process
Public sector and regulated buyers have fixed, long timetables.
Proof burden
Pilots and security reviews add months; reusable evidence removes them.
05 Where the number lives
The system, the record and the fields
| System of record | Key record | Fields you need |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | Opportunity with stage history | created_date, stage_entry_dates, close_date, amount |
Measure won deals only, and from a consistent starting stage. Counting from lead creation mixes marketing nurture time into the sales cycle and makes the number unusable.
06 How it goes wrong
Three ways this metric misleads people
Using the mean
One 400-day deal drags the average and hides the typical experience.
Fix: Report the median, and the spread.Including lost deals
Losses close faster or slower than wins for different reasons, and blend into noise.
Fix: Measure won deals; track time-to-loss separately as a qualification measure.One number for all segments
Enterprise and SMB are different businesses with different physics.
Fix: Always segment by size band.08 Questions
Frequently asked
Where should the cycle start?
At a defined qualification stage that both marketing and sales agree on. Anything earlier measures nurture time; anything later flatters the number.
How do I shorten it?
Remove proof steps by reusing evidence, and get the approvers into the room earlier. Most long cycles are waiting time, not working time.
One definition, everywhere it is used
SCIKIQ stores this metric once and serves it to every dashboard, board pack and agent that asks.