Let’s be honest. Not every deal sitting in your pipeline deserves your attention. Strong sales teams are honest about what is real, what is stalled, and what is simply taking up space.
By Jason Pearl, Founder of Nacre Consulting
Let’s be honest.
Most sales pipelines look healthier than they really are.
Pressure builds fast in sales. A quarter is ending. A target goal is looming. The forecast feels thin.
So leaders start scanning deals, hoping enough of them will cross the finish line.
But hope is not a strategy.
The companies that close consistently do something different. They get honest about what’s real, what’s stalled, and what needs to go.
They focus on the deals that are ready and reachable.
Let’s talk about how to find them.
Before you decide where to spend your time, you’ve got to face what’s actually in front of you.
Most pipelines I see are bloated. They look healthy in a CRM, but underneath are stale deals with no recent activity, outdated contacts, or “hope” entries that make the team feel busy instead of productive.
That’s why I recommend a Pipeline Cleanse, and yes, it’s as simple as it sounds.
Put every deal into one of three buckets:
Engaged: Active conversations with defined next steps.
Needing Re-Engagement: They showed interest but have gone quiet.
Cold or Dead: No response, no fit, or no longer a priority.
Start by focusing on the engaged group first. These are the ones with real potential. Then, decide which “re-engagement” opportunities are worth one more thoughtful reach-out.
The rest? Let them go.
You’ll be amazed how much clearer your forecast (and your head) feels when your pipeline is lean and real.
Every deal you plan to keep should be able to answer four questions clearly:
Go back to their own words. What pain or goal drove their initial outreach? If that still exists, there’s opportunity.
If you’re not at the level that can sign, your odds of closing before your target date are slim.
If it’s been more than 60 to 90 days, that deal isn’t active. It’s waiting for movement or closure.
If not, either you're in active discovery, or losing momentum.
Run every opportunity through this filter. You’ll quickly separate activity from actual traction.
For those middle-bucket deals, the ones that once showed interest but have gone quiet, don’t send a lazy “just checking in” email.
Be intentional. Be specific. Use their own words.
Try something like this:
“When we first spoke, you mentioned that [insert their goal or challenge]. As the year wraps up, I wanted to check if that’s still a priority for you.”
This kind of outreach works because it reminds them why they cared, introduces natural urgency, and gives you a clear yes or no answer.
If they lean in, move quickly.
If they don’t, move on with clarity instead of false hope.
Once you’ve cleaned your pipeline, you’ll notice something: it’s smaller.
That’s not a bad thing. That’s progress.
A focused pipeline gives you clarity. It gives your team confidence. It lets you double down on what’s actually going to move forward.
Here’s your focus formula:
Prioritize the engaged opportunities.
Reconnect intentionally with the high-potential ones.
Release the rest without guilt.
When your focus sharpens, your confidence follows. You stop chasing. You start closing.
Closing strong isn’t about grinding harder. It’s about getting honest sooner.
Clean your pipeline.
Ask better questions.
Re-engage with purpose.
Do that, and you’ll close stronger and build real momentum into your next stretch.
Strong results don’t come from pressure. They come from clarity.
At Nacre Consulting, we help business owners and sales leaders perform Sales Pipeline Audits that separate activity from opportunity.
We dig in with you, cleaning, assessing, and aligning your pipeline so you can be confident in what’s real and where to focus.
👉 Book a quick intro call to review your pipeline and get a clear, actionable picture of your sales.