Proof 7 of 8

The Pipeline

Why a buyer cares

A buyer is paying for next year's revenue, not last year's. They need to see where it will come from without you.

How this proof is scored

Each piece of evidence below gets a score. The score for The Pipeline is the lowest of its four evidence items. A buyer looks for the weak spot, so the weak spot sets the score.

0. Not proven: You believe it, but cannot show it.
1. Partly: Evidence exists but is incomplete, late, or needs you to explain it.
2. Proven: A third party could verify it from documents alone.
3. Proven and tested: Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

The four pieces of evidence

Each piece starts with the question a buyer will ask. Then it shows what a good answer looks like, and what makes it hold up under pressure.

Evidence 1

Business development function

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

Who brings in the work, other than you?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

A named person owns BD and reports an activity Scorecard weekly.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

New referral sources have been won by the team without your involvement.

Evidence 2

Revenue sources and concentration

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

How much of your revenue depends on one source?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

Revenue by source for 36 months, and a written plan for any source large enough to hurt the year if lost.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

Concentration has been reduced, or the large source is under a written agreement.

Evidence 3

Marketing that can be measured

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

What does a new lead cost you, and how many do you close?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

A marketing plan with a budget and results by channel.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

Cost per lead and close rate tracked for at least 12 months.

Evidence 4

Backlog and forecast

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

What will the next 90 days look like?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

Pipeline and WIP backlog reported weekly, with a 90-day revenue forecast.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

Forecast accuracy is tracked and has stayed inside a range you set.

Readiness documents

These are the documents that back up this proof. Keep each one current. A document that is a year out of date tells a buyer the business only gets organised when someone asks.

Document	What it is and why	Refresh
Revenue by source, 36 months	Shows where work comes from and how concentrated it is.	Quarterly
Business development scorecard	Weekly activity and results by the person who owns BD.	Weekly
Marketing plan, budget and results	What is spent, on what, and what it produces.	Quarterly
Pipeline and 90-day forecast	Expected work and revenue, compared afterward with what happened.	Weekly

Score The Pipeline

Be honest. Score what you could show a buyer this week, not what you plan to fix.

Score this proof in the Scorecard

The Paper The Plan