Thought Leadership

What Board Decks Get Wrong About Pipeline Health

5 mins read

A 4x pipeline-to-target ratio looks healthy on a board slide. It tells you almost nothing about whether that pipeline is real.

Independent pipeline reviews routinely find that a third or more of "qualified" opportunities have no genuine buying process behind them at all.

For operating partners, the fix isn't a bigger pipeline. It's an honest one.

Portrait of Nigel Kirkham

WRITTEN BY

Nigel Kirkham

Merlin5 is a sales transformation and commercial growth consultancy built by experienced sales and revenue leaders.

Merlin5 is a sales transformation and commercial growth consultancy built by experienced sales and revenue leaders.

© 2026 Merlin5

© 2026 Merlin5