Key takeaways
- Stages should reflect real buyer milestones, not internal tasks.
- Keep required fields to the minimum you'll actually use.
- Record lost reasons - they're some of your most useful data.
Design stages
Each stage should represent a milestone the buyer has reached, with a clear entry rule. A typical service pipeline: New lead → Contacted → Qualified → Proposal sent → Won / Lost.
Fields to capture
- Lead source (from UTMs or form)
- Service or product of interest
- Estimated value
- Next action and due date
- Lost reason (required when marking lost)
Automations worth adding
- Create a deal automatically from each form submission.
- Assign an owner and a first task.
- Alert when a deal sits in one stage too long.
- Trigger follow-up emails when a proposal is sent.
FAQ
How many pipeline stages should I have?
Usually four to seven. Enough to show progress clearly, few enough that updating them isn't a chore.