VEL_PROTOCOL_01 // PROTOCOL_SPEC
Stage Baseline Modeling
Define how long deals normally take to move through each stage so media influence can be measured as acceleration—not just engagement.
Without Baselines, Acceleration Is Invisible
Most organizations measure pipeline using snapshots. But you can’t measure acceleration unless you know the normal time it takes to move from stage to stage. Without a baseline, any change in deal speed is guessed rather than proven.
CRITICAL FAILURE MODES
- ✕ Marketing reports engagement instead of measurable stage movement
- ✕ Sales cycle changes are attributed to 'market conditions' rather than program impact
- ✕ Revenue teams can't isolate which sequences actually shorten the deal cycle
Baseline Modeling Logic
HISTORICAL INPUTS
Opportunity stage timestamps
Historical close timelines
Opportunity size + segment
Sales cycle duration by cohort
→
BASELINE OUTPUT
Stage Duration Model
Logic: Historical Stage Time → Median Duration → Velocity Baseline
Artifacts You Receive
- ✓Stage Duration Baseline Model
- ✓Opportunity Timeline Dataset
- ✓Segment-Level Velocity Benchmarks
- ✓Sales Cycle Decomposition Report
Implementation Steps
WK 1
Extract historical opportunity stage timestamps and clean for data outliers.
WK 2
Calculate median stage durations and establish cohort benchmarks by tier.
WK 3
Publish the baseline model as the yardstick for future acceleration measurement.