M48GrowCustomers & Sales· Module 4
Pipeline Management
Nobody knows how many enquiries are open, how many were lost, or why.
- Grow
- Fix
- Customers
- Technology
- ~5 min · Template
The business problem
Enquiries arrive across channels and are handled individually. There is no single list of open opportunities, response times vary and lost deals are not analysed. Sales forecasts are guesses.
Why it matters
A managed pipeline shows where deals are won and lost, makes follow-up reliable and gives a realistic view of future revenue.
What you will learn
- Define pipeline stages with entry and exit criteria
- Assign owners and next actions to every opportunity
- Measure conversion and velocity by stage
- Analyse lost deals
Core questions
- What are our stages from enquiry to sale?
- How many opportunities are at each stage, and what are they worth?
- Where do we lose most deals?
- How quickly do we respond to new enquiries?
Work through the module
CaseWhat is happening?
Travel company, 15 people · Illustrative teaching case
A travel company's enquiries live in consultants' WhatsApp chats. When a consultant leaves, their customers go quiet. The team agrees five stages and a response rule, then connects WhatsApp Business to a simple CRM. Weekly reviews show that most losses occur after the quote, so a follow-up standard is added.
Full teaching case: WhatsApp Is the CRM
DecisionWhat does the leader need to decide?
Keep enquiries personal to each consultant, or manage them as a shared pipeline?
FrameworkHow should they think about the problem?
Pipeline design
Stages, entry and exit criteria, owner, next action and date for every opportunity. Measure volume, conversion and time at each stage. Review weekly.
ToolWhat can they use?
Pipeline design sheetTemplate
- Stages and exit criteria
- Required information per stage
- Response and follow-up standards
- Weekly review questions
ApplicationHow does it apply to their business?
Apply it to your own business:
- Write your pipeline stages
- Define when a lead moves between stages
- Measure response time for last week's enquiries
ImplementationWhat changes?
What should change in the business:
- Put every open opportunity into one list or CRM
- Hold a weekly pipeline review
- Record reasons for lost deals
ReviewDid it work?
How to tell whether the change worked:
- Has response time improved?
- Has conversion improved at the weakest stage?
- Is the forecast becoming more accurate?
After this module you should be able to decide
Keep enquiries personal to each consultant, or manage them as a shared pipeline?
And leave with: A defined pipeline with stages, exit criteria and weekly review.
Sequence · Customers & Sales
Related modules
Part of these learning paths