A pipeline template is three decisions written down: your stages, the factual criterion that moves a deal between them, and how long a deal may sit in each before someone intervenes. Below is the complete structure — copy it into any CRM or a spreadsheet, then adjust the two places most businesses genuinely differ.
The template
| Stage | Definition | Exit criterion (a fact) | Max dwell | Probability* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Lead | New, unvetted interest | Passes your fit + intent bar | 3 days | — |
| 2 · Qualified | Real potential buyer | Discovery call completed | 14 days | 10% |
| 3 · Discovery | Problem and fit confirmed | Demo done or scope agreed | 21 days | 25% |
| 4 · Proposal | Offer in their hands | Verbal "yes, pending X" | 21 days | 50% |
| 5 · Negotiation | Closing terms/legal | Signed — or dead | 14 days | 75% |
| 6 · Closed | Won or lost | Reason code recorded | — | 100/0% |
*Starting-point probabilities for a blended forecast — replace with your own historical per-stage close rates within two quarters, or better, per-deal scoring (how we do it). Stage-position probabilities are the weakest part of any template; treat them as scaffolding, not truth.
Required fields (keep it this short)
- On every deal: value, expected close date, source, owner, next step + its date.
- To leave stage 2: the problem in one sentence, decision-maker identified.
- To leave stage 4: the objection or condition blocking signature.
- At close: reason code from a fixed list (won: why us; lost: price / timing / competitor / no decision / bad fit).
Every field beyond these must earn its place — required fields nobody uses are how CRMs become chores (practice #10).
The two places to customize
- Cycle length → dwell times. The dwell numbers above fit a 30–60 day cycle. Scale them to yours: a rough rule is each stage's max dwell ≈ 1/3 of your median cycle, with Proposal watched tightest — it's where deals rot (see the stage-design guide for when to add or split stages).
- Transactional vs. complex. Under ~2 week cycles: collapse to four stages (Lead → Qualified → Proposal → Closed). Enterprise: split stage 5 into commercial negotiation and legal/procurement — different owners, different dwell.
Setting it up
- In a spreadsheet: one row per deal, columns = the required fields + stage + stage-entry date. A conditional format on (today − stage-entry) > dwell gives you aging alerts. This genuinely works to ~30 deals.
- In any CRM: create the six stages, set the probabilities, and — the step most teams skip — configure the aging alert. A pipeline without aging enforcement is a list.
- In AutomateNexus CRM: this structure is close to the default; the difference is the agents run it — stage changes trigger from real events, aging flags surface in the daily brief, and the follow-up cadence continues whether or not a human remembered. Disclosure as always: that's our product; the template above works anywhere.
Pipeline template FAQ
How many stages should the template have?
Six for most B2B, four for transactional, seven at most for enterprise. More stages than verifiable checkpoints is theater — every stage must have a factual exit criterion or it will be gamed at forecast time.
Should I use the probability percentages for forecasting?
Only as a starting scaffold. Within a quarter or two you'll have your own per-stage close rates — use those. Position-based probability is the template's weakest signal, which is why per-deal scoring models exist.
Can I run this template in a spreadsheet instead of a CRM?
To about 30 active deals and 2 people, yes — honestly. The switch point is when follow-up starts depending on memory or two people touch the same deal; the signals are covered in our startup CRM guide.
What's the most common mistake with pipeline templates?
Installing the stages and skipping the dwell times. The stages describe the happy path; the aging rule is what manages reality, and reality is where deals sit quietly in stage 4 for two months.