Pipeline Generation
topic on 3 shows · 10 statements across 6 episodes
the Official SaaStr Podcast 
Top Founders 
20VC
10 statements about Pipeline Generation, every show
Figma AEs must generate their own pipeline without relying on SDRs
“A's have to be responsible for their own PG, like full stop. That I think is, is consistently true anywhere I've been, and I firmly believe in it. I think that's critical. That is the job in a lot of ways, like the most important part of the job.”
Sales Reps Without Prospecting Experience Give Up When Cold Calling Gets Tough
“If they haven't done that and they haven't been in that lonely place, the likelihood that they are willing to make that 20th call is low. Even if they thought they were willing upfront, when they actually get into it, you have to have been through that journey…”
Outbound Cold Calling Remains the Most Effective Pipeline Generation Method
“Really the most effective means of pipeline generation is outbound cold calling.”
Fewer Than 10% of Sales Reps Excel at Pipeline Generation
“Less than 10%. It's elite. It is highly, highly correlated with elite salespeople that have the ability and the tenacity, the willingness.”
Effective Pipeline Generation Yields 2 to 2.5 Meetings Weekly
“If someone is doing good PG, they should be able to on average get two meetings in a given week. Sometimes people will get more. Sometimes people will get less and they might get one or they might get zero and still they did a good job. It was just, you know, …”
Account Managers Must Excel at Pipeline Generation
“Your account managers should also be excellent at pipeline generation because they're trying to get into other divisions, et cetera.”
Fougere: Pipeline generation cannot be outsourced to SDRs
“Asking somebody else to do PG for you is like asking them to go to the gym for you. I think it creates, I don't think it creates the right culture to think that this is something that can be outsourced. And so the way I look at it is PG is everybody's job.”
Smith: Doubling down on low-quality pipeline generation is the worst shortfall response
“The worst answer, by the way, is to double down on the activities that are creating bad pipeline. That's usually what people do. They go to create pipeline. They just jam everybody. We need pipeline. SDRs, BDRs, RSMs, get out there and create pipeline, marketi…”
Enterprise SaaS engagements should focus on pipeline generation over immediate revenue
“And if it's an enterprise sales product, we're not going to be focused on revenue because their sales cycles might be six to nine months. We'll be focused on like quality pipe gen where the sales reps are saying, yes, these are really great conversations we're…”
Delatorre: AE-led outbound pipeline generation increases volume and lead respect
“When you have AEs feeling that it's their responsibility to generate pipeline, now, number one, there's more pipeline, that's great, but number two, whatever pipeline they get from their SDRs or inbound for marketing is a gift from the heavens, and they treat …”