It gets better.

A difficult reality about the current market is it hits pretty much every revenue department. Between layoffs, budget cuts, and aggressive goals that are harder and harder to reach, there are many things to be worried about.  

And all these end up creating pipeline anxiety for many hard-working teams and individuals. 

But pipeline anxiety isn’t anything new. Take this post from Frida Ahrenby, CMO at GetAccept, for example:

Revenue leaders have dealt with pipeline anxiety for a long time. And sales and marketing teams are all too familiar with setting stretch goals. 

But the difference here is the goals many of us set for our teams in January 2022 aren’t just stretch goals anymore. They’re impossible-to-reach goals in some cases. And that’s what makes pipeline anxiety a debilitating feeling for revenue teams right now. 

Leaders must keep revenue goals in perspective

When there is a disconnect between what’s possible in this environment and what a leader thinks is possible, this can add more pressure on employees to hit impossible targets. 

We (executives and leaders) all want to know how other companies are actually doing. But the hardest thing to come by right now is comparables.

I recently talked to a group of other CEOs, and they all report the same: 

• Decrease in the pipeline 
• Decrease in bookings 
• Increased churn

And sometimes, all we need to know to get rid of that feeling of helplessness is we are not the only ones suffering right now. The conversations reminded me of the Y Combinator group office hours. Those 15-minute meetings quickly turned into group therapy sessions. 

But as with every shock in the system, the first thing we see is an overcorrection - and that's the phase we are in.

The biggest source of pipeline anxiety right now is the difference between expectations and what's achievable

And so, it’s important for leaders to step up and fill in the gaps between expectation and reality – and prioritize efficient growth over growth at all costs. 

Our goal at UserGems has always been to make the sales and marketing process a little bit easier. 

That’s why it’s especially important for us to address pipeline anxiety right now – to make a hard situation less stressful, and to help teams find sustainable ways to hit their targets. 

Like I said earlier, it will get better. And as our own team continues to learn how to navigate the current market, we will share insights, tips, and playbooks we gather to help you reach your revenue goals. It’s not time to get discouraged, it’s time to grow stronger. 

After all, pressure creates diamonds.