Draft reference — content review pending
Sales Cycle Length
The average elapsed time from the defined sales-start event to the defined completion event for completed opportunities.
Business question
How long do completed sales opportunities typically take from the agreed start event to closure?
Formula
Average sales cycle length = sum of elapsed days from the defined start event to closure for completed opportunities ÷ number of those opportunities.
Calculation notes
Use completed won and/or lost opportunities according to the stated scope. Keep start and end events consistent and report the unit as calendar or business days.
Edge-case guidance
Exclude open opportunities from the completed-opportunity average and investigate unusually long or short cycles separately.
Required data
| Input | Type | Status | Available source hints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elapsed days for completed opportunitiesElapsed time for each opportunity from the agreed start event to closure. | Duration | Required | CRM · Excel · Google Sheets |
| Completed opportunity countCount of opportunities included in the same scope. | Number | Required | CRM · Excel · Google Sheets |
Interpretation
Use the measure to understand sales-process speed and where qualification, proposal, decision, or contracting stages may need attention.
Caution
Shortening the cycle is not automatically better if qualification becomes weaker, discounting increases, or unsuitable customers are closed faster.
Implementation recommendation
Define the start and closure events in the CRM and review the distribution, not only the average, to find stalled stages.
Target guidance
Set the first target from a comparable historical baseline for sales cycle length, then adjust it for strategy, capacity, seasonality, data quality, and relevant market or regulatory context. Review the direction with the accountable business owner rather than treating any external benchmark as universal.