What is Deal Health and Why It Matters

Every sales leader has experienced it: a "sure thing" deal that suddenly goes dark, or a long-shot opportunity that closes out of nowhere. The difference between predictable revenue and constant surprises often comes down to one thing: deal health visibility.

What is Deal Health?

Deal health is a composite score that measures the overall vitality of a sales opportunity. Unlike simple stage progression or gut feelings, deal health analyzes multiple signals to give you an objective view of where each deal really stands.

Think of it like a vital signs monitor for your pipeline. Just as a doctor doesn't rely on a single measurement to assess patient health, you shouldn't rely on deal stage alone to understand your pipeline.

The 5 Components of Deal Health

At Opsight, our Health Score is calculated from five key factors:

1. Methodology Execution (30%)

Are you following proven sales processes? This measures your NOVA-6 checklist completion—how thoroughly you've qualified the deal, identified stakeholders, and documented key information. Deals with incomplete qualification have dramatically lower close rates.

2. Activity Recency (25%)

When was the last meaningful engagement? Deals that go quiet for more than 7-10 days show a sharp decline in close probability. This isn't about activity volume—it's about maintaining momentum.

3. Stage Velocity (20%)

Is this deal moving faster or slower than your average? Deals that stall in a stage too long often indicate hidden objections or lack of urgency. Conversely, deals moving too fast might lack proper qualification.

4. Forward Momentum (15%)

Are concrete next steps scheduled? Deals with confirmed meetings, demos, or deliverables on the calendar are far healthier than those with vague "follow up next week" commitments.

5. Note Sentiment (10%)

What do your deal notes reveal? Opsight analyzes the notes you enter for positive buying signals (budget confirmed, timeline established, champions identified) and red flags (competitor mentioned, budget freeze, deal blocked). The more context you add to your notes, the smarter your health score becomes.

Why Traditional Pipeline Views Fall Short

Most CRMs show you a simple pipeline view: deals organized by stage with values attached. This creates dangerous blind spots:

• False confidence: A $500K deal in "Negotiation" looks great, but if there's been no contact in 3 weeks, it's likely dead.
• Hidden risk: A deal might be "progressing" through stages while key stakeholders remain unconvinced.
• Reactive management: By the time a deal officially stalls, it's often too late to save it.

How Top Teams Use Deal Health

Daily Prioritization

Instead of working deals randomly or by close date, top reps start each day with their lowest-health active deals. A 10-minute call today can save a deal that would be lost next week.

Pipeline Reviews That Matter

Stop asking "what's the status?" in every 1:1. Health scores let managers instantly see which deals need attention, turning pipeline reviews from status updates into coaching conversations.

Accurate Forecasting

Weighted pipeline based on stage alone is notoriously inaccurate. Adding health scores to the equation—discounting stalled deals and boosting healthy ones—creates forecasts you can actually trust.

The Health Score in Action

Here's how to interpret health scores:

• 70-100% (Healthy): Deal is progressing well. Maintain momentum and execute your process.
• 40-69% (At Risk): Warning signs present. Investigate and take corrective action within 48 hours.
• 0-39% (Critical): Deal is in serious trouble. Escalate, bring in reinforcements, or consider deprioritizing.

Getting Started with Deal Health

If you're not already tracking deal health, start simple: rate each deal in your pipeline as green, yellow, or red based on your gut feeling. Then ask yourself why.

Better yet, let AI do the analysis for you. Tools like Opsight automatically calculate health scores based on your CRM data, giving you instant visibility into pipeline risk without manual effort.