Define stages around real customer progress
Stages should represent meaningful changes in the opportunity rather than every internal activity.
- New / qualified prospect.
- Discovery and information gathering.
- Bill or site analysis.
- Proposal preparation and delivery.
- Follow-up / negotiation.
- Closed outcome.
Make every opportunity actionable
A stage alone is not enough. The opportunity should carry contacts, activities, tasks, documents and a next action.
Use roll-ups for management—not micromanagement
Directors should be able to understand the pipeline for the team they manage, while owners can see the broader organization where their role permits.