Designing your first pipeline
Your pipeline should mirror your actual sales process. Don't copy a generic template — think through how a customer moves from first contact to closed deal in your specific business, then build stages that reflect those real-world transitions.
How to build a pipeline that works
5–7 stages is the sweet spot. Fewer than 5 means you can't see where deals get stuck. More than 7 means your reps don't update them consistently.
Each stage should represent a real customer action, not an internal task. "Quote sent" is good (you can see if the customer engaged). "Following up" is bad (it's vague and never ends).
Always have explicit Won and Lost stages. Without them, deals languish in "Negotiation" forever.
Sample pipeline templates
Service business (consultation-led sale)
New Lead → Contacted → Consultation Booked → Consultation Held → Proposal Sent → Won / Lost
E-commerce / product sale
Inquiry → Qualified → Demo → Quote Sent → Negotiation → Won / Lost
Real estate (buyer)
New Lead → Discovery Call → Pre-Approval → Showings → Offer Submitted → Under Contract → Closed / Lost
Healthcare (new patient)
Inquiry → Insurance Verified → Intake Sent → Intake Completed → First Appointment Booked → Active Patient / Did Not Convert
Create the pipeline
1. Go to Opportunities → Pipelines → "+ Create Pipeline"
2. Name it (e.g., "Sales Pipeline" or "New Patient Onboarding")
3. Add each stage in order
4. Set stage probability % for each (used in forecasting — covered in)
5. Save
TIP — Watch your team work for a week before designing
If you're new to pipelines, resist the urge to perfect the design upfront. Set up a rough 5-stage version, watch how your team uses it for 2 weeks, then refine. Real usage reveals which stages are missing or redundant in ways that imagination doesn't.
