In honor of Valentine’s Day this past weekend, let me ask you a personal question: do you love your sales pipeline?
I don’t mean “are you glad it exists?” or “does it look respectable in a dashboard?” I mean love-love. The kind where you check in regularly, invest meaningful time, and feel confident it will show up for you when you need it. Because here’s what I’ve learned after decades in business development: your pipeline knows exactly how you feel about it.
Ignore it, and it goes cold.
Rush it, and it resists.
Only visit when you need something, and it ghosts you.
But when you invest quality time, real, intentional, meaningful time, it starts loving you back with meetings, opportunities, and revenue.
And that’s the relationship we’re all after.
Time ≠ Love (In Pipelines or People)
Many leaders tell me, “We spend plenty of time on pipeline.”
I believe them. There are CRM updates. Forecast calls. Quarterly “touching base” emails that say absolutely nothing. Sellers logging activities that look busy but don’t move anything forward.
That’s not love. That’s paperwork.
Love, whether in relationships or pipelines, is about quality time. Focused attention. Meaningful interaction. Progress.
A “checking in” email once a quarter is the business equivalent of texting your spouse, “Still married?” It technically counts as contact, but nobody feels cherished.
Your prospects want conversations that matter: insights, relevance, ideas, progress. They want to feel that you understand their world and can help improve it. When that happens, relationships deepen, and pipelines grow warmer, healthier, and far more responsive.
If You Don’t Love Your Pipeline… Why?
Here’s a gentle but honest question: if you don’t love your pipeline, is it possible you haven’t been loving it?
Have you:
• Spent consistent, protected time with it?
• Invested in meaningful conversations?
• Nurtured relationships before you needed them?
• Focused on the right opportunities, not just any opportunities?
Pipelines don’t become healthy by accident. They become healthy through attention and intention.
The good news? Relationships can be repaired. Even pipeline relationships.
If you’ve been neglecting yours and want to change that, here are three ways to bring the love back.
1. Schedule a Weekly Pipeline “Date Day”
Everyone talks about date night. I prefer date day, because in business, daylight hours are when relationships grow.
Block time every week, non-negotiable, to focus only on advancing key opportunities and relationships. Not CRM hygiene. Not reporting. Not internal meetings. External relationship progress.
This is when you prepare for conversations, reconnect with prospects, share ideas, and move things forward. It’s proactive, not reactive.
Pipelines thrive on consistency. Weekly attention says, “You matter.” And your prospects feel that.
2. Replace “Touching Base” with Meaningful Interaction
Let’s retire two phrases forever: checking in and touching base.
They signal low effort and zero value. Prospects can smell them instantly.
Meaningful pipeline activity does one thing: it advances the relationship.
That might mean:
• Sharing a relevant insight about their market
• Introducing them to someone valuable
• Offering perspective on an issue they’re navigating
• Discussing priorities or timing honestly
• Exploring fit or next steps clearly
Meaningful conversations create momentum. Momentum creates trust. Trust creates opportunities.
Quality time always beats quantity of touches.
3. Focus on the Right Loves (Not Just Available Ones)
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: many pipelines are full, but not fulfilling.
Too many wrong-fit opportunities drain time and emotional energy. Sellers keep them around because “something might happen.” It rarely does.
Healthy pipelines, like healthy relationships, are built on the right matches.
So, spend time identifying and prioritizing the prospects where there is real alignment: need, value, access, and potential impact. Then invest your energy there.
When you pursue the right opportunities with meaningful engagement, pipelines become lighter, clearer, and far more productive.
And yes, much easier to love.
The Love You Give Is the Love You Get
A strong pipeline isn’t luck. It’s not volume. It’s not activity metrics.
It’s relationships, carefully built, consistently nurtured, and intentionally advanced.
So, ask yourself again: do you love your sales pipeline?
If the answer is no, don’t panic. Pipelines, like relationships, respond quickly when attention improves. Start showing up weekly. Do meaningful things. Focus on the right opportunities.
Give it quality time.
You may be surprised how much love you get in return.