The sales pipeline coverage is the number of prospects in each stage of the sales pipeline divided by the total number of prospects in the sales pipeline. Pipeline coverage is a metric that helps sales leaders track the progress of their team's sales pipeline and identify any areas where more prospecting is needed. If the coverage for a certain stage is low, it could be an indication that not enough prospects are being moved through the pipeline or that too many prospects are dropping out at that stage.

There are a number of benefits that come with having sales pipeline coverage, including:

1. Smoother sales cycles: When you always have a robust pool of leads to draw from, your sales cycles tend to be smoother and more predictable. You’re less likely to experience sudden lulls or spikes in activity, and can better plan your marketing and sales efforts accordingly.

2. Greater clarity on your marketing ROI: With a steadier stream of leads, it’s easier to track the ROI of your marketing campaigns and adjust your strategy accordingly. You’ll be able to see which channels are most effective at generating quality leads, and can invest more heavily in those channels going forward.

3. Reduced sales cycles: Because you’re constantly working with a fresh batch of leads, your sales cycles tend to be shorter and more efficient. You can close deals faster, and move on to the next sale without having to wait for new leads to come in.

4. Increased close rates: With a consistent stream of high-quality leads, your close rate is likely to increase. You’ll have a greater chance of making a sale with each lead you reach out to, since you know they’re already interested in what you have to offer.

5. More efficient use of resources: When you have sales pipeline coverage, you can be more selective about the leads you pursue, and the resources you use to close them. You don’t have to waste time or money chasing after unqualified leads, and can instead focus your efforts on the most promising prospects.

There are three common ways to calculate sales pipeline coverage:

1) By deal size: This approach simply looks at the total value of deals in your pipeline and compares it to the total value of deals you need to close in order to hit your target.

2) By stage: This approach looks at the number of deals in each stage of your sales pipeline and compares it to the number of deals you need to close in each stage in order to hit your target.

3) By time period: This approach looks at the number of deals in your pipeline and compares it to the number of deals you need to close each month in order to hit your target.