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beginnerApplication30 minutes

Design a Lead-to-Close Funnel

Create a complete funnel with stages, definitions, and conversion targets for a B2B SaaS company.

Learning Objectives

  • Define clear funnel stages
  • Set stage entry/exit criteria
  • Establish conversion benchmarks

Scenario

TechFlow is a Series A B2B SaaS company selling workflow automation to mid-market companies (100-1000 employees). 
    
Average deal size: $24,000 ARR
Sales cycle: 45-60 days
Sales team: 4 AEs, 2 SDRs
Marketing generates ~200 leads/month
Current close rate: Unknown (no defined funnel)

The CEO wants to implement a proper funnel to track conversion and identify bottlenecks.

Instructions

  1. 1Read the company scenario below
  2. 2Design 5-7 funnel stages from lead to closed-won
  3. 3Define clear entry criteria for each stage
  4. 4Define exit criteria (what moves to next stage)
  5. 5Set target conversion rates between stages
  6. 6Identify which team owns each stage

Deliverables

  • Funnel diagram with 5-7 stages
  • Entry/exit criteria document for each stage
  • Target conversion rates with rationale
  • Stage ownership matrix (Marketing, SDR, AE, etc.)

Evaluation Criteria

  • Stages are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive
  • Criteria are objective and measurable
  • Conversion targets are realistic for B2B mid-market
  • Handoffs between teams are clearly defined

Hints

  • Consider stages like: Lead, MQL, SAL, SQL, Opportunity, Proposal, Negotiation, Closed
  • Mid-market B2B typically sees 20-30% MQL-to-SQL conversion
  • Average SQL-to-Close is 15-25% for this segment

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