Sales velocity
Sales velocity measures how fast revenue moves through your pipeline. The formula multiplies three inputs and divides by a fourth: (number of opportunities x average deal value x win rate) / length of sales cycle in days. The result is roughly how much new revenue you generate per day, and it's one number you can pull four different levers on.
For a founder, sales velocity is useful because it forces you to see the trade-offs. Chasing bigger deals raises average deal value but usually lengthens the cycle, which can cancel out the gain. Shortening the cycle, or lifting win rate by qualifying harder, often moves the number more than simply adding leads. Track it monthly and you'll spot which lever actually grows revenue fastest for your business, rather than guessing. It turns a vague feeling that sales are slow into a diagnosable equation.