A sales pipeline is a picture of your deals from first contact to payment. Clear stages let you see what is coming and where things are stuck.
A simple set of stages
Many small businesses can work with five.
- New enquiry
- Qualified, meaning a real need and budget
- Quote sent
- Negotiation or follow up
- Won or lost
Define what moves a deal
Write the action that moves a deal from one stage to the next, such as a call held or a quote accepted. Without this, stages become opinions.
Watch for stuck deals
Review deals that have not moved in two weeks. Either follow up, or close them as lost so the pipeline stays honest.