The stages of a sales cycle
Most sales cycles follow a similar path: prospecting, a first conversation, discovery, a demo or proposal, negotiation and the close, sometimes followed by onboarding. The names and the number of stages vary by company and CRM. A small, low-cost purchase might move through all of them in one call; a large purchase involving several departments can take many months. Sales cycle length is usually measured on won deals, from the date an opportunity was created to the date it closed.
How to calculate it
Average sales cycle length = total days from opportunity created to close, across won deals ÷ number of won deals
Worked example: Three deals closed this quarter after 30, 45 and 75 days. The average sales cycle is (30 + 45 + 75) ÷ 3 = 50 days.
Example figures only. Use your own numbers.
Practice the qualification calls that keep deals movingExample
A rep notices her deals often sit for weeks after the proposal. On her next deal, she asks in discovery how purchases like this get approved, learns that legal review usually takes a few weeks, and agrees with her champion to send the contract to legal while the pricing discussion is still under way.
Why it matters
Cycle length tells you how far ahead you need to build pipeline. If deals take three months to close, the pipeline for next quarter has to exist today. It also shapes forecasting and ramp time, since a new rep can't close deals faster than buyers decide. A cycle that's getting longer is worth investigating: it often points to deals entering the pipeline too early, a new approval step on the buyer's side, or an economic buyer who joins too late.
How to talk about it in an interview
Interviewers for account executive roles often ask about your typical deal size and sales cycle, because together they show what kind of selling you've done. Know your numbers, explain what drove them and describe one deal where you shortened the cycle, for example by mapping the buyer's approval steps early. Practice the answer out loud so it sounds specific rather than rehearsed.