Sales Pipeline Management

Core Workflow

1. Identify the sales motion, ACV, cycle length, buyer type, CRM, team roles, and forecast cadence.
2. Map actual buyer/seller behavior into pipeline stages with clear entry and exit criteria.
3. Define qualification standards: fit, pain, urgency, authority, budget/value, process, risk, and next step.
4. Audit pipeline health by stage conversion, aging, next steps, close dates, coverage, source, deal size, and forecast category.
5. Separate pipeline creation, pipeline progression, forecast inspection, and coaching.
6. Produce CRM changes only when they reduce ambiguity or improve decision quality.

Freshness Rule

Verify current CRM documentation before recommending platform-specific field names, forecasting behavior, AI scoring features, automation rules, or dashboard configuration. Keep strategic pipeline design separate from vendor UI details.

Operating Principles