Your pipeline is a living, breathing sales tool. As leads progress from inquiry to customer, moving them through stages keeps your team aligned and your sales process organized.
Understanding Lead Stages
Each stage represents a step in your customer acquisition process:
- New Lead: Just discovered your business
- Contacted: Initial conversation started
- Qualified: Confirmed interest and fit
- Proposal: Quote or offer sent
- Negotiating: Discussing terms
- Won: Became a customer
- Lost: Didn't convert
Access Your Pipeline
Go to CRM → Pipeline
You'll see columns for each stage with lead cards inside.
Drag-and-Drop Functionality
Move a Lead Between Stages
Simply click and drag a lead card from one column to another.
The lead instantly moves to the new stage.
Drag-and-drop works on desktop. On mobile, tap the lead and select "Move to Stage" from the menu.
Bulk Move Multiple Leads
To move several leads at once:
- Hold Shift or Ctrl (Cmd on Mac)
- Click multiple lead cards to select them
- Drag the group to the new stage
- All selected leads move together
Use bulk moves for seasonal updates. For example, move all "Summer Campaign" leads to "Follow-up" at once.
Auto-Progression Rules
Automate stage changes based on customer actions:
Set Up Automation Rules
Go to Settings → Pipeline → Automation
Create Trigger-Based Rules
Common automation examples:
- When booking confirmed:
Move from "Proposal" to "Won" - When quote sent:
Move from "Qualified" to "Proposal" - When no response for 7 days:
Move from "Contacted" to "Cold Lead" - When customer replies:
Move from "Cold Lead" back to "Active"
Stage-Specific Actions
Configure what happens when a lead enters each stage:
Set Stage Entry Actions
For each stage, you can trigger:
- Send message: Auto-send a template message
- Create task: Remind team to follow up
- Assign owner: Assign to specific team member
- Add tag: Automatically tag the lead
- Update field: Change deal value or priority
Example: "Proposal" Stage Actions
When lead moves to "Proposal":
- Send quote template via email
- Create task: "Follow up in 2 days"
- Add tag: "Quote Sent"
- Set reminder for 48 hours
Customizing Stage Names
Rename Stages to Match Your Process
Go to Settings → Pipeline → Stages
Click any stage name to edit it.
Industry-Specific Examples
Restaurant:
Inquiry → Menu Shared → Reservation Requested → Confirmed → Completed → Repeat Customer
Salon:
New Client → Consultation → Booked → Completed → Rebook Offered → Loyal Client
Service Business:
Lead → Quote Requested → Quote Sent → Negotiating → Scheduled → Job Done → Invoice Paid
Stage Analytics
View Stage Performance
Click Analytics at the top of the pipeline to see:
- Conversion rates: % moving from each stage to next
- Average time in stage: How long leads stay
- Drop-off points: Where you lose most leads
- Stage value: Total deal value in each stage
If a stage has low conversion or long duration, investigate why. It may indicate a problem in your sales process.
Best Practices
- Move leads promptly: Update stages as soon as status changes
- Don't skip stages: Follow your process sequentially for accurate analytics
- Review weekly: Scan each stage for stalled leads
- Limit stages: 5-7 stages is optimal; more creates confusion
- Define clear criteria: Everyone should know what qualifies for each stage
- Archive old leads: Keep pipeline clean by removing dead leads
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move a lead backward?
Yes! If a deal falls through or needs more nurturing, drag it back to an earlier stage.
What happens to "Lost" leads?
They stay in the Lost column until archived. You can move them back to active stages if they re-engage.
Can I have different pipelines for different services?
Yes! Create multiple pipelines in Settings → Pipelines → Add New Pipeline.
How do I see stage history?
Open any lead and click "Activity." You'll see every stage change with timestamps.
Troubleshooting
Can't drag leads
Solution: Check browser compatibility (works best in Chrome/Firefox). On mobile, use the "Move to Stage" button instead.
Lead disappeared after moving
Solution: Check if you have filters active. Clear filters to see all leads. The lead is still there, just filtered out.
Automation not triggering
Solution: Verify automation is enabled in Settings. Check that trigger conditions are met exactly as configured.
Can't delete a stage
Solution: Move all leads out of that stage first. Empty stages can be deleted.