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Sales Pipeline Stages (CRM)
Ameen Sales Pipeline Stages (CRM)
Shared definitions, exit criteria, SLAs, required fields, and forecast weights for our WordPress ops deals.
Purpose
Why these stages?
Consistent stage definitions improve forecasting, handoffs, and coaching. Each stage has: entry signal, exit checklist, required fields, SLA, and probability weight.
- Proposals confirm intent (not a cold send).
- SoW locks scope after proposal choice.
- Onboarding tasks auto-create at Closed Won.
Products
What we sell
| Tier | Focus | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Hosting & hygiene | SSL, backups, malware scan |
| Growth | Performance & monitoring | CDN, caching, uptime, reports |
| Premium | Mission-critical | WAF, priority support, consults |
Pipeline Stages (entry → exit)
0 • Intake New Lead5%
Entry
- Form/Referral/Reply captured
- Contact + URL present
- Reply sent
- Discovery invite proposed
SLA
- First response ≤ 1 business day
- Contact, Company, Website
1 • Discovery Scheduled Meeting booked10%
Entry
- Time on calendar
- Agenda sent
- Discovery completed
- Notes saved
SLA
- Book within 3 business days
- Role, Site type
2 • Discovery Completed Deep notes20%
Exit checklist
- ICP fit = Yes/Maybe
- Tech baseline captured (host/CDN/plugins)
- Risks noted
- BANT captured (budget, authority, need, timeline)
Fields
- Traffic (est.)
- Decision process
- Critical dates
- Move to Solution Fit
3 • Solution Fit Sales-Qualified35%
Exit checklist
- Tier aligned (Core/Growth/Premium)
- Stakeholder map complete
- Timeline realistic
Next
- Create estimate
- Draft assumptions
- Proposal draft start ≤ 1 business day
4 • Proposal Drafting Internal45%
Exit
- 3 options priced
- Assumptions & terms set
- Internal review passed
SLA
- Send within 2 business days of discovery
5 • Proposal Sent Client reviewing60%
Exit
- Review meeting held
- Objections logged
SLA
- Follow-up ≤ 2 business days
- Chosen option (tentative)
6 • Negotiation Redlines/objections75%
Exit
- Scope & price locked
- Decision date agreed
SLA
- Status update ≥ weekly
- Verbal Yes
7 • Verbal Yes Pending signature85%
Exit
- E-signature sent
- Deposit invoice sent
- Onboarding date penciled
Fields
- Kickoff date
- Billing contact
8 • Closed Won Ready to onboard100%
Actions
- Create onboarding project
- Provision plan & WAF/CDN
- Book kickoff
Handoff
- Share Discovery notes + Proposal + SoW
- Tag tier & add-ons
X • Closed Lost / DQ / Nurture Exited0%
Reasons (pick one)
- No budget
- No urgency
- No fit/tech
- Chose competitor
- Status quo
- Security/compliance
- Timing
- Pricing
Nurture
- Tag segment
- Add to 90-day check-in
- Save key date (renewal/launch)
SLAs
Response & Turnaround
| Stage | SLA |
|---|---|
| Intake | Reply ≤ 1 business day |
| Discovery Scheduled | Book ≤ 3 business days |
| Proposal Drafting | Send ≤ 2 business days post-discovery |
| Proposal Sent | Follow-up ≤ 2 business days |
| Negotiation | Weekly status |
Fields
Required Fields by Stage
| Stage | Must-have fields |
|---|---|
| Intake | Contact • Company • URL |
| Discovery | Role • Site type • Traffic est. |
| Disc. Completed | BANT • Tech baseline • Risks |
| Solution Fit | Tier target • Stakeholders |
| Proposal Sent | Option selected (tentative) |
| Verbal Yes | Kickoff date • Billing contact |
Automation
- Move to “Discovery Scheduled” → create Discovery Coach link + calendar hold.
- Move to “Proposal Drafting” → open proposal template with tier options prefilled.
- “Closed Won” → create onboarding checklist + send welcome packet.
Weights
Stage Probabilities
| Stage | % |
|---|---|
| Intake | 5 |
| Discovery Scheduled | 10 |
| Discovery Completed | 20 |
| Solution Fit | 35 |
| Proposal Drafting | 45 |
| Proposal Sent | 60 |
| Negotiation | 75 |
| Verbal Yes | 85 |
| Closed Won | 100 |
Forecast buckets: Commit (Verbal Yes+), Best Case (Proposal Sent/Negotiation with signals), Pipeline (earlier), Omitted (DQ/Lost).
Calculator
Weighted Forecast
$0 forecast
KPI Ideas
- Stage conversion rates
- Time-in-stage (aging)
- Win rate by segment & tier
- Forecast accuracy (commit vs actual)
Standard Reasons
Closed Lost / Disqualified
| Code | Reason |
|---|---|
| NB | No budget |
| NU | No urgency |
| NF | No fit / tech |
| CC | Chose competitor |
| SQ | Status quo |
| SC | Security/Compliance |
| TI | Timing |
| PR | Pricing |
Nurture Play
Follow-up Cadence
- Add to 30/60/90-day check-ins
- Send relevant case study
- Calendar reminder for renewal/launch
YAML
Pipeline Config
stages:
– id: 0
name: Intake
probability: 5
sla: “reply ≤ 1bd”
exit: [“reply sent”,”discovery invite proposed”]
– id: 1
name: Discovery Scheduled
probability: 10
sla: “book ≤ 3bd”
exit: [“discovery completed”,”notes saved”]
– id: 2
name: Discovery Completed
probability: 20
exit: [“ICP fit assessed”,”tech baseline”,”risks”,”BANT”]
– id: 3
name: Solution Fit
probability: 35
exit: [“tier aligned”,”stakeholders mapped”,”timeline set”]
– id: 4
name: Proposal Drafting
probability: 45
sla: “send ≤ 2bd”
exit: [“3 options priced”,”assumptions set”,”internal review”]
– id: 5
name: Proposal Sent
probability: 60
sla: “follow-up ≤ 2bd”
exit: [“review meeting held”,”objections logged”]
– id: 6
name: Negotiation
probability: 75
exit: [“scope & price locked”,”decision date agreed”]
– id: 7
name: Verbal Yes
probability: 85
exit: [“signature sent”,”deposit sent”,”kickoff penciled”]
– id: 8
name: Closed Won
probability: 100
exit: [“onboarding project created”,”provisioning started”]
loss_reasons: [NB,NU,NF,CC,SQ,SC,TI,PR]
forecast_buckets:
commit: [“Verbal Yes”,”Closed Won”]
best_case: [“Proposal Sent”,”Negotiation”]
pipeline: [“Intake”,”Discovery Scheduled”,”Discovery Completed”,”Solution Fit”,”Proposal Drafting”]
omitted: [“Closed Lost”,”Disqualified”,”Nurture”]
Notes
Admin Tips
- Lock required fields at each stage.
- Auto-set probability from stage.
- Trigger onboarding workflow at Closed Won.