Pipelines and Stages

Pipelines define your sales process — the ordered stages a deal moves through from first contact to close. SalesKey supports multiple pipelines so different types of deals can follow different processes.

Navigate to: Settings > Deal Pipelines

Admin only: Configuring pipelines requires administrator permissions.

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What Is a Pipeline?

A pipeline is a structured sequence of stages. For example:

New Business Pipeline:
Prospecting → Qualification → Proposal → Negotiation → Contract → Closed Won / Closed Lost

Renewal Pipeline:
Renewal Identified → Decision Maker Engaged → Proposal → Contract Renewal → Renewed / Churned

Each pipeline is displayed as a kanban board in the Deals section.

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Creating a Pipeline

1. Go to Settings > Deal Pipelines.
2. Click + New Pipeline.
3. Enter a Pipeline Name (e.g., "Enterprise Sales").
4. Click Save.
5. Add stages to the pipeline (see below).

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Adding Stages to a Pipeline

1. Open the pipeline by clicking its name.
2. Click + Add Stage.
3. Fill in:
   • Stage Name — e.g., "Proposal Sent"
   • Win Probability — Percentage likelihood of closing a deal in this stage (used in forecasting)
   • Color — Choose a color for visual identification on the pipeline board
4. Click Save.
5. Repeat for each stage.

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Reordering Stages

1. In the pipeline's stage list, hover over a stage.
2. Click and drag the reorder handle.
3. Drop the stage in its new position.

The order here determines the left-to-right order on the pipeline board.

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Editing a Stage

1. Find the stage in the pipeline.
2. Click Edit.
3. Update the name, probability, or color.
4. Click Save.

Changes take effect immediately for all deals in that stage.

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Deleting a Stage

Warning: You cannot delete a stage that has active deals in it. Move or archive the deals first.

1. Ensure no deals are in the stage.
2. Click Delete on the stage.
3. Confirm.

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Setting a Default Stage

When a new deal is created, it starts in the default stage. To set the default:

1. Edit the stage you want as the default.
2. Check the Default Stage option.
3. Save.

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Win/Loss Stages

Some stages represent final outcomes:

• Won — The deal was successfully closed
• Lost — The deal was not won

You can configure which stage(s) represent won/lost outcomes. Deals marked as Won or Lost are removed from the active pipeline board and tracked in reports.

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Multiple Pipelines

If your business has different sales motions, create separate pipelines:

Pipeline	Use Case
New Business	First-time customer acquisition
Renewals	Existing customer subscription renewals
Upsell / Cross-sell	Expansion within existing accounts
Partnerships	Partner or reseller deals

Users select which pipeline to view in the Deals > Pipeline section.

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Project Boards

Project boards work similarly to deal pipelines but for projects. Configure project boards and their phases in Settings > Project Boards.

Each board has phases (equivalent to pipeline stages) like:

• To Do
• In Progress
• In Review
• Done

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Tips for Pipeline Design

• Keep it simple — 4–7 stages is ideal. Too many stages create friction.
• Name stages as actions — "Proposal Sent" is clearer than "Stage 3".
• Set realistic probabilities — Accurate win probabilities make your revenue forecasts more reliable.
• Align with your actual process — The pipeline should mirror how your team actually sells, not an idealized version.
• Review stages annually — As your sales process matures, your stages may need updating.