What Did the State of Pipeline Generation Survey Reveal?

Pipeline generation has evolved from a marketing buzzword to a board-level priority. With budgets tightening and scrutiny increasing, marketing leaders are under pressure to prove exactly how the pipeline contributes to revenue growth and ROI.

To uncover the latest trends, RevSure partnered with Ascend2 to conduct the 2023 State of Pipeline Generation Survey, gathering insights from over 400 marketing professionals. The study explored how marketers forecast pipeline, the challenges they face in prediction, and the confidence gap between executives and practitioners.

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ROI and Revenue Contribution Take Center Stage

The survey shows a clear shift in how marketing success is measured. Nearly half of respondents said ROI or customer acquisition cost is now their primary success metric, with revenue contribution close behind. By contrast, only 19% still use MQLs as their main measure.

This reflects a broader change in mindset: quality and revenue impact matter more than lead volume. For teams making this transition, tools like RevSure’s Marketing Performance Dashboard ensure every campaign and channel is tied directly to pipeline contribution, making ROI measurement more transparent and credible.

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Forecasting as a Driver of Efficiency and Confidence

An overwhelming 95% of marketers said the ability to forecast pipeline accurately is critical to their program’s success. Forecasting doesn’t just shape strategy—it ensures resources are directed toward the right opportunities and gives teams the confidence to hit their revenue targets.

Yet, many forecasts remain manual, with multiple team members piecing together data across systems. This makes forecasting both resource-heavy and error-prone. RevSure’s Pipeline Projections & Insight addresses this gap by applying AI to improve forecast accuracy, flag conversion risks early, and provide real-time visibility—helping teams move away from reactive “fire drill mode.”

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Executives vs. Practitioners: A Confidence Divide

One of the most striking findings was the difference in outlook between leadership and execution teams. Sixty-five percent of executives said they felt positive about achieving success in 2023, but only 35% of non-executives shared that view.

This divide may be explained by proximity to day-to-day challenges. Executives often feel reassured by efficiency gains and cost controls, while practitioners experience the pressure of constant pipeline questions and manual reporting. The result is stress and, in many cases, burnout.

RevSure’s Funnel Health Intelligence helps close this gap by giving both executives and practitioners a shared view of pipeline health—highlighting leaks, bottlenecks, and momentum in real time. Instead of disconnected perspectives, teams align on a single source of truth.

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Moving Forward

The survey reveals a marketing landscape where ROI and revenue contribution define success, forecasting is essential but too manual, and confidence is unevenly distributed across organizations. The way forward lies in connecting pipeline generation directly to revenue impact, removing guesswork from forecasting, and ensuring alignment across leadership and practitioners.

For teams ready to take that step, RevSure’s Customer Journey Analysis provides the visibility needed to link early buyer signals to revenue outcomes, helping marketers prove impact and plan with confidence.