The Deal Velocity Report: How Long Does It Actually Take To Close?

A new survey of 502 business leaders reveals that contracts take twice as long to sign as professionals say they should, quietly costing organizations hundreds of days in avoidable pipeline delays every year.

The findings point to a hidden source of deal friction: contracts often lose momentum after negotiation while sitting unopened, waiting on approvals, or going untouched without follow-up. For teams trying to close business faster, the report positions document turnaround as a measurable growth lever rather than just an administrative task.

Key takeaways

• Contracts take an average of 8 days from send to signature, twice the 4 days business leaders say the process should take, costing the average organization an estimated 200 days of avoidable pipeline delay per year.
• About half of business leaders (51%) stall or lose a deal because no one followed up on a contract.
• Nearly 1 in 2 business leaders (47%) admit their own internal approval processes delay deals more than clients do, even as 2 in 5 (40%) say clients are the primary cause.
• The average organization has $88,000 in revenue sitting in pending or unsigned contracts at any given time.

Where contract momentum slows down

Before a contract gets signed, it often slows down in predictable places across the process.

• Nearly 3 in 4 business leaders (74%) say contracts sit unopened for more than 48 hours after being sent at least sometimes, including about 1 in 8 (13%) who say this happens on more than 75% of their contracts.
• Nearly 7 in 10 business leaders (69%) say contracts go cold after initial review at least sometimes, requiring re-engagement before they are signed.
• An average of nearly 3 internal stakeholders must approve a standard contract before it is even sent to the other party.
• Health care and professional services each average 9 days to sign (the longest of any industry), followed by technology and software at 8 days. The fastest are financial services and retail and e-commerce, both averaging 5 days.

How delays turn into lost revenue

Delays in the contract process can have a measurable impact on deal outcomes and revenue growth.

• Over 1 in 3 business leaders (34%) have personally delayed or declined signing a contract because the process feels too slow or frustrating.
• Around 2 in 5 business leaders (40%) say deals collapse due to contract inactivity at least sometimes, including 1 in 11 (9%) who say it happens in 25% or more of their deals.
• Half of business leaders (50%) agree that contract delays are a meaningful drag on their revenue growth.
• About half of business leaders (51%) stall or lose a deal because no one followed up on a contract.
• Around 1 in 3 business leaders (33%) say their organization has lost significant business due to slow contract turnaround.
• Nearly 3 in 4 business leaders (71%) say a faster contract process would meaningfully increase their close rate.
• Retail and e-commerce leaders are the most likely to have personally delayed signing a contract due to frustration, with 56% saying they have done so, nearly double the overall rate of 34%.
• Nearly 1 in 2 tech leaders (49%) say deals collapse due to contract inactivity at least sometimes, versus around 1 in 4 in manufacturing (24%) and construction (25%).
• Financial services leaders sign contracts faster than any other industry (averaging 5 days), yet nearly 1 in 2 (48%) still say deals collapse due to contract inactivity at least sometimes, and 80% say a faster process would increase their close rate (the highest of any industry).
• The average organization has $88,000 in revenue sitting in pending or unsigned contracts at any given time.

Methodology

This report is based on original, first-hand research commissioned by Sign.com to understand how contract delays and document inactivity affect professionals involved in closing business deals. The study surveyed 502 U.S. business leaders across industries and roles to uncover how long agreements typically take from send to signature, where slowdowns most commonly occur, how often deals stall or collapse due to unsigned contracts, and how much revenue is sitting idle in pending agreements at any given time.

The average age of respondents was 41. The sample consisted of 54% men, 43% women, and less than 3% non-binary or gender non-conforming individuals. Generationally, 59% were Millennials, 28% were Gen X, 10% were Gen Z, and 3% were Baby Boomers. Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.

By collecting direct, first-person feedback from professionals who regularly send, review, approve, and sign contracts as part of their work, the findings provide a clear, data-backed view of how passive delay quietly slows revenue velocity and what it costs when no one follows up.

About Sign.com

Sign.com makes eSigning fast, secure, and stress-free, helping professionals manage contracts, approvals, and time-sensitive documents. With easy-to-use tools built for busy teams, Sign.com streamlines digital signatures so work stays on track, even when schedules don't.

Fair use statement

These insights may be shared for noncommercial purposes with proper attribution. Please include a link back to Sign.com when referencing this content.