The Rise of Credibility: A Practical Guide to Turning Trust into Pipeline

By Solange Deschatres

If you lead demand generation right now, you feel it. Right now, every conversation leads back to pipeline. Impressions and MQL volume still matter, of course, but they’re no longer the headliner.

In Energize Marketing’s latest research, 52% of B2B marketers rank driving qualified pipeline as their number-one priority, and 71% say pipeline generated or revenue influenced is their top success metric.

Most teams wouldn’t call themselves immature.

Still, pipeline feels harder to predict than it should, with deals stalling, handoffs losing momentum, and reporting that seems to spark new debates instead of settling them.

Nearly 7 in 10 describe themselves as “somewhat mature,” yet only about 1 in 4 are truly mature or advanced.

Most teams have the tools in place, but not the operational consistency that makes for reliable pipeline.

Here are some practical steps to stabilize your pipeline:

Step 1: Get Clear on What 'Qualified' Means

Everyone says they want more pipeline. Fewer teams agree on what good pipeline actually looks like. Define revenue-ready criteria with sales. Revisit it quarterly. Clarity builds credibility internally first.

Step 2: Audit Where Your Budget Is Going

53% of marketers expect budget growth, and demand generation represents 20–39% of total marketing spend for most teams. Review which programs consistently influence opportunity creation and reallocate with discipline.

Step 3: Make Research Your Center of Gravity

72% of marketers identify research reports and executive insights as top performers for generating qualified pipeline. Buyers engage with content that helps them think better. Build durable, data-backed assets that sales can use.

Step 4: Modernize Engagement Thoughtfully

Short-form webinars are gaining interest, and most teams are modernizing content formats. Shorter, sharper sessions work — especially when they deliver real insight buyers can use internally.

Step 5: Strengthen the Middle of Your System

Only about one in four teams consider themselves mature or advanced. Improve one operational friction point deeply — scoring, SLAs, follow-up loops, or data hygiene. Maturity builds layer by layer.

Step 6: Treat Trust as a Revenue Lever

As pipeline accountability increases, authority becomes a growth lever. When prospects reference your research and sales uses your insights in live conversations, trust is translating into revenue.

Download the Full Report

If you want the full benchmark data, maturity insights, and detailed findings behind these trends, download Energize Marketing’s State of Demand Generation 2026 Report. It provides the global data, operational breakdowns, and practical direction to help your team move from insight to measurable pipeline impact.