Vanity vs. Value: The RevOps Guide to Pipeline Metrics

Pipeline analytics are critical for every RevOps team, but not all metrics are created equal. While some numbers look great on a dashboard, they don’t actually drive revenue - or even accurately reflect pipeline health. This session, led by Matthew Volm, CEO and Founder at RevOps Co-op, Daniel Ruiz, Founder of Synch, and Albert Wong, RevOps leader at Clay, breaks down the difference between vanity and value-driven pipeline metrics.

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The Pitfalls of Vanity Metrics

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Vanity metrics give a false sense of progress, leading teams to make poor strategic decisions. Some common traps include:

• Self-Serving Metrics – Allowing the same team that owns the metric to define how it is measured leads to inflated, misleading numbers.
• Overemphasizing Top-of-Funnel Activity – Tracking total pipeline creation without considering deal quality can give a skewed view of growth.
• Relying on Bullish Assumptions – Assuming deals will close at the highest potential value when discounting is common creates unrealistic forecasts.
• Lack of Standard Definitions – Without clear criteria for what qualifies as a “real” pipeline, teams can manipulate numbers to appear stronger than they are.

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"If I had been able to grade my own physics papers in college, I would have ended up with a much better score," Daniel Ruiz

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Why Pipeline Analytics Matter

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Understanding pipeline health isn’t just about reporting - it’s about keeping leadership grounded in reality. Wong emphasized that RevOps should be the "objective voice" in an organization, ensuring that both successes and risks are surfaced accurately.

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One common issue is when companies set unrealistic win rates by excluding stalled deals. As Wong pointed out, many companies only calculate win rate based on deals that reach a certain stage. While this may make numbers look good, it ignores all the unqualified pipeline that never made it that far.

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To explore more on maintaining accurate pipeline analytics, read our article on Beyond KPIs: The Art of Storytelling With Data.

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What You Should Track Instead

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To move beyond vanity metrics, RevOps leaders need to focus on actionable, meaningful data:

1. Qualified Pipeline Growth – Ensuring pipeline meets a clearly defined standard of “qualification” prevents teams from inflating their numbers.
2. Win Rates Over Time – Tracking how win rates change in different segments (e.g., by rep, by industry, by deal size) provides a more realistic view.
3. Forecast Accuracy – Comparing past forecasts to actual outcomes improves future forecasting discipline.
4. Conversion Rate by Stage – Measuring how deals progress through each stage highlights potential pipeline leaks.
5. Pipeline Coverage Ratios – Understanding how much pipeline is needed to hit revenue targets prevents surprises later in the quarter.

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"More data does not equal better data. The key is not just tracking more, but tracking the right things," Albert Wong

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For insights on effective pipeline management, check out this report 5 Buyer Journey Fixes That Impact Productivity and Revenue.

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RevOps as the Reality Check

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At the end of the day, RevOps teams must serve as a counterbalance to over-optimistic forecasts and inflated pipeline numbers. As Volm pointed out, forecasting shouldn’t just be about getting weekly sales updates - it should be a tool for ensuring business leaders make informed decisions.

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By tracking real conversion rates, aligning incentives with accurate forecasting, and defining clear pipeline criteria, RevOps can ensure their teams focus on value - not vanity.

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Looking for More Insights?

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Check out our blog for additional RevOps insights, and join the community for discussions with industry leaders.