How to Prepare for a B2B Marketing Pipeline Review

If you’re a growth marketer, owning revenue and pipeline performance means being accountable for results and ready to answer, every day, where your dollars are going and what impact they’re driving.

Pipeline reviews are a critical checkpoint. Done well, they align marketing and sales around growth. Done poorly, they devolve into data dumps or defensive posturing. I’ve seen both. 

The difference between success and failure is preparation. Easier said than done with today’s siloed marketing and campaign data and systems, and the effort it takes to pull together thorough, accurate

As a B2B marketing leader, I’ve sat through my fair share of pipeline reviews that felt like data dumps or finger-pointing sessions. Here’s how I prepare for every pipeline review to ensure marketing appears as a strategic growth partner, not just another line item.

Focus on the Key Points the Business Cares About

Pipeline reviews are not the time to dive into email open rates or top-of-funnel impressions. Focus on metrics that directly connect to revenue:

• Trends and examples of marketing-sourced and marketing-influenced pipeline
• Descriptive  summary and detailed views of pipeline coverage ratio (by segment, product, or region)
• Individual and aggregate campaign and channel performance against pipeline goals and revenue outcomes
• Account and buying group conversions and gaps to inform where to focus next

I always start with a single slide that answers: Are we on track to hit pipeline goals? What’s helping or hurting that progress? And examples of details behind a recent closed won, pipeline acceleration, or closed lost. This is not only instructive on what’s working, what’s not, but it also provides actions to take to improve performance. 

Bring Insights, Not Just Data

It’s not enough to show charts. Like all effective communications, we have to tell the story or the story behind the story. For each key metric, we deliver insights and anticipate and answer questions of the stakeholders at the table. 

• What’s the trend vs. last quarter or last year?
• What actions are we taking based on this data?
• Where do we need help (from sales, ops, execs) to move faster?

I typically bring 3–5 high-impact insights with clear actions. This is a pipeline review, not a reporting meeting.

Be Transparent About Gaps and What’s Not Working

One of the best ways marketing earns credibility is by being transparent about what's not working. Showing up with an “all-green dashboard” where everything is positive is not believable, and your colleagues will shut down.

If a program underperformed or a channel is lagging, own it. Show the data, but pair the problem with a plan, for example:

“Email performance dropped 20% this quarter due to list fatigue. We’re piloting new segmentation and testing LinkedIn retargeting to re-engage those accounts.”

A lesson we have learned is to own the misses, stay open to feedback, and avoid getting defensive. That’s how we build trust in the review and over time.. 

Map Pipeline to Campaigns, Channels, and Creative

Help the revenue team see how the pipeline is being built, not just that it exists. Sales and executives often don’t see the critical work that is required. We are not looking for credit but rather an understanding of what’s needed to achieve our joint goals. Link current pipeline coverage to:

• Recent channels, campaigns, and their conversion paths and performance

• ABM program performance by buying stage, buying groups, and channels

• Key channels, content assets, and offers that drove engagement

This makes the case for continued (or increased) marketing investment, but also clarifies where you will stop investing and why. One piece of advice I received - the data doesn’t have to be perfect, if you are building credibility and trust over time. 

Use Real Deals to Ground the Data

This is where real deals come into play. While insights and data are essential, walking through one or two recent deals to demonstrate the marketing and sales touchpoints, buying group activity volume, and timeframe helps provide a real-world perspective. Bringing these to life builds credibility and helps all stakeholders —including sales, marketing, finance, and executives — understand what it takes to identify and win business. 

End the review with momentum. Share what marketing is launching next to fuel pipeline growth. Whether it’s a new campaign, product launch, or customer advocacy push, this shows proactive leadership.

Show Up as a Revenue Partner

Pipeline reviews are where marketing earns a seat at the revenue table. Preparation is how you demonstrate that you understand the business, speak the language of revenue, and are leading the charge on growth.

I have learned that when you walk in with confidence, clarity, and a POV consistently,  not just a report or data, you shift from being a service function to a strategic partner.