RAIN Group Research Reveals Pipeline Is Growing, but Sales Performance Isn't Keeping Pace

BOSTON - EntSun -- RAIN Group, a global sales training company helping enterprise teams drive business outcomes through tailored learning experiences, coaching, and technology, released the results from its latest study, 2026 Sales Challenges & Priorities.

Led by the RAIN Group Center for Sales Research, analysts examined responses from more than 250 sales management, leadership, and enablement professionals to identify the top challenges facing sales organizations, how sales performance has changed, and where leaders are focusing their priorities for the year ahead.

As the third wave of this study, following research fielded in 2019 and 2023, the findings show that while pipeline momentum is improving, many organizations are struggling to translate that momentum into wins, quota attainment, and revenue growth.

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"For years, sales leaders have pushed for more pipeline, more opportunities, and more at-bats," said Scott McDonald, CEO of RAIN Group. "But our latest research shows that pipeline growth alone doesn't guarantee stronger sales performance. The real question is whether organizations have the capabilities, manager reinforcement, and execution discipline to convert pipeline into revenue."

Among the performance trends uncovered in the study:

• 47.2% reported an increase in qualified pipeline
• 37.1% reported an increase in quota attainment
• 39.7% reported an increase in opportunities won
• 48.4% reported an increase in sales cycle length

The data reveals that opportunity flow is improving for many organizations, but performance is not keeping pace. Conversion gains remain inconsistent, and deal velocity continues to be under pressure.

While overall sales priorities span pipeline generation, customer growth, coaching, and execution, the study found that when respondents were forced to prioritize, leaders concentrated their attention on a narrower set of issues tied directly to conversion, retention, and revenue realization.

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The top forced-choice priorities were:

• Win more against difficult competitors: 44.0%
• Reduce sales lost to no decision: 40.8%
• Improve customer retention and renewals: 39.7%
• Improve ability to communicate value: 30.0%

According to the research, stronger execution capabilities are especially critical as market pressure increases. Opportunity planning, value communication, stakeholder engagement, deal qualification, no-decision prevention, coaching, and manager reinforcement all influence whether opportunities advance, stall, or convert to revenue.

McDonald continued, "The organizations that improve performance in 2026 won't be the ones that simply demand more activity. They'll be the ones that diagnose where performance is breaking down and build the sales capabilities and management systems needed to improve conversion."

Download the full report at: https://hubs.li/Q04lst-f0