The Only 5 Sales Metrics Founders Should Track

Most founders track too many metrics or the wrong metrics entirely.

Your CRM has 50+ reports. Your sales team talks about "activity." But revenue isn't growing.

Here's the truth: you only need 5 metrics to run a high-performing sales team.

Metric 1: Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) or Revenue Growth

This is your North Star.

Everything else supports this number.

Why it matters: If this isn't growing, nothing else matters.

Metric 2: Pipeline Coverage

How much pipeline do you have vs your revenue target?

Formula: Pipeline Value ÷ Monthly Target

Why it matters: Tells you if you'll hit target 60–90 days from now.

Metric 3: Win Rate

What percentage of qualified opportunities actually close?

Formula: Deals Won ÷ Total Opportunities

Why it matters: Low win rates mean wasted effort. High win rates mean you're leaving money on the table.

Metric 4: Average Sales Cycle Length

How long does it take to close a deal from first contact?

Pro tip: If cycles are lengthening, something in your process is broken.

Metric 5: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

How much does it cost to acquire one customer?

Formula: (Sales + Marketing Costs) ÷ New Customers

Why it matters: Tells you if your growth is sustainable.

What NOT to Track

Stop obsessing over:

These are activity metrics, not outcome metrics.

Activity doesn't pay the bills.

How to Use These Metrics

Weekly Review

Review Pipeline Coverage + Win Rate

Monthly Review

Review all 5 metrics + trends

Quarterly Review

Adjust strategy based on patterns

The Bottom Line

These 5 metrics tell you:

If you can't answer these questions, you're flying blind.

Want help setting up your sales dashboard? Let's talk.