Funnel Analysis Guide
The Funnel view (Analytics → Funnel) shows how deals move through your pipeline stages and where conversion rates change between stages. This is distinct from the referral funnel — the pipeline funnel tracks deal progression, while the referral funnel tracks link clicks through to client conversion.
What the Funnel View Shows
The funnel displays your pipeline stages from left to right, with the count of deals that entered each stage during the selected period. Between each pair of stages, a conversion rate shows what percentage of deals progressed.
Example layout:
| Stage | Count | → | Conversion | |-------|-------|---|------------| | Discovery | 24 | → | 75% | | Proposal | 18 | → | 67% | | Application | 12 | → | 83% | | Active Client | 10 | | |
The funnel reflects deals that entered each stage during the selected date range. A deal that was already in the Proposal stage before the selected period and advanced to Application during it will appear in the Application count but not in the Proposal count for that period.
Reading Stage-to-Stage Conversion Rates
Each conversion rate answers: "Of the deals that entered Stage A during this period, what percentage also entered Stage B?"
A few things to keep in mind:
- Conversion rates can exceed 100% in short date ranges if deals that entered Stage A in a prior period advance to Stage B in the current one
- Lower conversion at a specific stage is not inherently a problem — it may reflect intentional qualification. A low Discovery → Proposal rate could mean you're having exploratory conversations with many people and only proposing to those who are a fit
- Conversion rates are most meaningful over longer periods (90+ days) where the sample size is large enough to show patterns rather than noise
Filtering the Funnel
- Select a date range using the date picker — this filters to deals that moved during that period
- Filter by deal source to compare funnel performance across referral, directory, direct, and other sources
Combining date range and source filters is particularly useful for understanding whether different client acquisition channels produce deals that convert at different rates through your pipeline.
Identifying Bottleneck Stages
A bottleneck is a stage where conversion drops notably compared to other stages. To identify them:
- Review conversion rates across all stage transitions
- Look for the transition with the largest drop-off — this is where the most deals stall or exit
- Check the average time deals spend in that stage — a high average time combined with a low conversion rate suggests deals are stalling rather than being actively disqualified
- Compare across date ranges to see whether the pattern is consistent or a recent change
A stage with low conversion is only a bottleneck if deals are stalling there unintentionally. If you deliberately disqualify prospects at the Discovery stage, a 50% conversion rate at that stage reflects your process working as designed, not a problem to address.
Referral Funnel vs. Pipeline Funnel
These are two separate analytics views that measure different things:
| | Referral Funnel | Pipeline Funnel | |---|----------------|-----------------| | What it tracks | Link clicks → consultation requests → client conversions | Deal stage progression through your pipeline | | Starting point | Someone clicks your referral link | A deal enters your pipeline (from any source) | | Where to find it | Analytics → Referrals | Analytics → Funnel | | Best for | Evaluating your referral link and profile page performance | Evaluating your sales process and stage progression |
A deal that originated from a referral link will appear in both funnels — the referral funnel tracks how they arrived, and the pipeline funnel tracks how they progress through your stages.