How many stages should a sales pipeline have?

As few as possible – usually five to seven stages are enough. Each stage should mean a real status, and there should be few enough that your team knows them by heart and maintains them consistently.

What are entry and exit criteria?

Entry criteria define when a deal may land in a stage, exit criteria define what must be true for it to advance. They stop deals from being treated as hot too early and make forecasts reliable.

Sales pipeline template

A sales pipeline template with 7 stages, entry/exit criteria, and tasks per stage. Build a predictable sales process and keep it running with automations.

A solid sales pipeline template is what separates "we call people sometimes" from a predictable, repeatable sales process. It defines the stages a deal moves through, when it advances, and what needs to happen at each step. This guide gives you a ready-to-use template with clearly defined stages, entry and exit criteria, and concrete tasks – plus tips on tailoring it to your sales motion and keeping it running with automations.

Why you need a template at all

Without a fixed framework, everyone on the team decides for themselves what "qualified" or "almost closed" means. That makes your numbers meaningless and forecasting a guessing game. A standardized pipeline template gives you:

Comparability – every deal is judged by the same criteria.
Clear next steps – nobody wonders what to do next.
Reliable forecasts – you see how much revenue realistically sits in each stage.
Fast onboarding – new reps understand the process immediately.

In a visual drag-and-drop pipeline the template becomes tangible: each stage is a column, each deal a card you simply drag forward as it progresses.

The universal sales pipeline template (7 stages)

These seven stages fit most B2B and B2C sales teams. You can adopt them as-is and trim or extend later.

New / lead received – the contact exists but is untouched.
Contacted – first outreach made by call, WhatsApp, SMS, or email.
Qualified – need, budget, and decision-maker are confirmed.
Meeting / demo – a consultation or demo is scheduled.
Proposal – a concrete offer has been sent.
Negotiation – terms, scope, or price are being discussed.
Won / lost – the deal is closed (with a loss reason for "lost").

Important: define clear entry criteria for each stage (when may a card land here?) and exit criteria (what must be true for it to advance?). This is exactly what stops deals from being treated as "hot" too early.

What to do at each stage

A template only becomes valuable when the action for each stage is obvious. Here is a practical flow:

New: respond within minutes – speed decides whether you reach them.
Contacted: ask qualifying questions, document everything on the contact.
Qualified: offer a fitting time slot and book it firmly.
Meeting: capture the need, show the solution, agree on the next step.
Proposal: follow up actively after sending – don't wait for a reply.
Negotiation: resolve open points, lock in a close date.
Won: trigger handover; lost: capture the reason, flag for later re-engagement.

With integrated telephony, every call lands automatically on the contact – with one-click calling, an auto-dialer, recording, and a call log. An AI call summary saves you from taking notes.

Tailoring the template to your sales motion

No pipeline fits everyone. Adapt the template with these rules:

As few stages as possible – each one should mean a real status, not a tiny step.
One pipeline per sales process – new and existing customers often need separate flows.
Don't delete lost deals – they're your best pool for follow-ups.
Name stages the way your team talks – recognition beats textbook terms.

Keep the stage count low enough that your team knows it by heart. Five clean stages beat ten that nobody maintains consistently.

Keeping the pipeline running with automations

Templates often fail in practice because of upkeep. This is where a visual flow builder helps: you build the rules once, then the pipeline runs almost by itself. Useful automations:

Instant welcome for every new lead via WhatsApp, SMS, or email.
Follow-up reminder when a deal sits in a stage for several days.
Automatic move to the next stage as soon as a meeting is booked.
Task assignment to the right team member on stage changes.

For automated WhatsApp communication, compliance matters – a 24-hour window, approved templates, opt-in, opt-out/STOP, daily limits, and a kill switch should be built in.

Measure and refine

Your template isn't set in stone. With reporting you see where things stall: conversion per stage, average time in stage, and the most common loss reasons. If deals always get stuck in the same stage, either the exit criterion is unclear or the task is too big. Review the numbers every few weeks and adjust stages, criteria, and automations.

AM CRM for your pipeline template

AM CRM is an all-in-one sales CRM where everything is included in every plan. You set up your pipeline template as a visual drag-and-drop pipeline, document each contact with a 360° history, and move deals forward with integrated telephony, two-way WhatsApp/SMS/email, appointment booking, and a visual flow builder. Plus reporting and AI features like call summaries. European and GDPR-oriented. Prices from €12/month (Solo), €220/month (Team), and €550/month (Business), with 40% off when billed annually.

Ready for a pipeline that actually works? Try AM CRM free for 14 days – no risk, cancel anytime.