We asked three sales experts

When a rep has a thin pipeline, the instinct is to hold onto everything. How do you convince them that letting go of weak deals actually improves their numbers?

Scott Clary

Founder - WWA

Most pipeline numbers aren't real. Some deals sit there for months. Everyone quietly agrees they probably won't close, but they still don't remove them.

I did that when I was building WWA — holding onto reasonable-looking, unviable deals out of wishful thinking (and not wanting to admit I needed to do more outreach).

Eventually, I started running every open deal through four questions:

1. Does this person have an actual problem they're trying to solve right now?

2. Do they have real access to budget?

3. Have I spoken to a legitimate decision-maker?

4. Does this really need to happen within 30 days?

If you can't say "yes" to all four, the deal's not actually a deal yet. Move it off the active list, revisit it in 60 days, and spend the time you get back on something that covers those bases.

Your pipeline might shrink, but you'll find out what you're actually working with.

Collin Cadmus

Founder - Collin Cadmus LLC

Time is your most valuable asset. Where you spend your time will determine what you get in exchange for it.

I don’t like to convince salespeople of anything, instead I present to them the data they need to convince themselves.

Start by creating a lead scoring system, which will take some time and iteration to become accurate.

Once you’ve established criteria that makes sense (i.e. you’ve found scoring criteria that correlates with win rates and deal sizes), now you can use this data to assess your pipeline and time investment per account.

Combine this with qualification and exit criteria for each sales stage and you have transparency into which deals to prioritize, or which to drop entirely.

Leslie Venetz

Founder - The Sales-Led GTM Agency

When a pipeline is thin, scarcity mindset kicks in and it is one of the most destructive forces in sales.

Scarcity makes reps hold on to deals that should have been disqualified weeks ago and pour energy into activities that will never generate revenue.

Every hour spent chasing a deal that is not going to close is an hour not spent generating new pipeline or nurturing conversations that could become real opportunities.

Letting go is not losing ground, it is redirecting energy toward the activity that generates new conversations.

Embracing an abundance mentality means believing that the right deals are out there, but you can only find them when you stop holding space for the wrong ones.

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