The B2B funnel and pipeline stages
🔒Join free to watch this video lessonFree account · takes 30 seconds · no card neededJoin free & watchAlready a member? Log inDefine clear stages from lead to closed deal, track them in a simple CRM, and use conversion rates to forecast revenue and fix bottlenecks.
In this lesson you’ll learn to
- My pipeline has clear stages
- Each stage has exit criteria
- Every deal has a next step with a date
- I forecast using stage probabilities
- I record loss reasons
Typical stages
• Target — account matches your ICP.
• Contacted — outreach started.
• Engaged — they replied or showed interest.
• Meeting booked / held.
• Qualified opportunity — real need, budget, authority, timing.
• Proposal sent.
• Negotiation.
• Closed won / closed lost — with a reason.
Exit criteria
Each stage needs a clear rule for moving forward — for example, “qualified” only when the economic buyer is identified and a decision date is known. Without rules, pipelines fill with wishful thinking.
A simple CRM
A spreadsheet works at the start; dedicated CRMs scale better. Track account, contacts, stage, value, next step, next-step date and source. The
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