What represents the active set of deals currently in progress?

The concept of a "pipeline" in the context of business and sales refers to the systematic progression of potential deals or sales opportunities that a company is currently working to close. It illustrates the current status of these deals at various stages—such as lead, prospect, negotiation, and closing—allowing businesses to track their progress and forecast revenue effectively.

The pipeline provides a visual representation and a structured framework for sales teams, enabling them to manage their workflow, prioritize tasks, and understand where efforts should be concentrated to maximize successful conversions. This term is crucial for any startup or business as it helps in assessing the efficacy of sales strategies and resource allocation, ensuring that the team is aligned and focused on deals that are most likely to close.

In contrast, other options represent different aspects of sales and marketing but do not specifically denote the active deals in progress. For instance, a sales funnel illustrates the stages of the customer journey but is broader and does not focus solely on current deals. Demand generation refers to activities aimed at creating awareness and interest in a product or service, while outbound sales involves proactive efforts to reach out to potential customers, which again does not directly represent the current active deals. The most accurate term for the current collection of deals in process is indeed the