Definition
A sales cycle is the time it takes to turn a new opportunity into a won sale, usually measured in days from when the deal is created to when it is won.
What is a sales cycle in B2B?
B2B sales cycles are long because several people approve each purchase and project timelines drive when orders are placed. Knowing your average cycle helps you plan: if deals take 75 days to close, this quarter’s revenue depends on deals that are already open.
Example: an MEP supplier finds that hospital projects average 120 days from enquiry to PO, while repeat fit-out customers average 21.
An average can hide a few very slow deals, so look at stalled deals too. The sales cycle ends at the win; delivery and collection belong to the order-to-cash cycle, covered in the quote-to-cash guide.