Pipeline stages should tell you, at a glance, which leads need attention today.
Fewer stages, clearer decisions
Most small teams need four to six stages. Any more and leads get stuck between stages nobody checks.
- New: just arrived, not yet contacted
- Contacted: first conversation started
- Qualified: a real fit with a real need
- Proposal: pricing or a quote sent
- Won or lost: the outcome
Name stages by what happened
Each stage should describe something that happened, like a call booked, rather than a feeling like warm. That way everyone moves leads the same way.
Review weekly
Once a week, look at the leads that haven't moved. They're either ready for a nudge or ready to close as lost.