Template
Pipeline planning worksheet
Draft stages and exit conditions before building.
Week 1
Related training lesson: Week 1: Pipelines and Opportunity Stages
Purpose
Use this worksheet to draft pipeline stages, entry rules, exit rules, and movement logic before building inside the CRM. A pipeline should show how an opportunity moves from first interest to a final outcome.
When to Use This Template
- Before creating a new sales or intake pipeline
- Before rebuilding a messy pipeline
- Before connecting workflows to opportunity stages
- When reports do not show where deals are stuck
- When the team uses vague stages differently
How to Use It
- Work through the sections in order. Do not open the pipeline builder until you can explain each stage, what moves an opportunity into it, and what moves the opportunity out of it.
Template / Checklist Content
Pipeline Inventory
| Pipeline name | Purpose | Audience/process | Owner | Keep, rebuild, or remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage Planning Map
| Stage name | What it means | Entry condition | Exit condition | Manual or automated | Reporting value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won, Lost, and Follow-Up Later Rules
| Decision | Definition |
|---|---|
| Won means | |
| Lost / Not a Fit means | |
| Follow-Up Later means | |
| Who is allowed to move opportunities to final outcome stages? | |
| What note, reason, or field should be completed? |
Automation Readiness
- Each stage has a clear entry condition
- Each stage has a clear exit condition
- Team agrees on what Won means
- Team agrees on what Lost / Not a Fit means
- Duplicate opportunity risk has been reviewed
- Workflow movement should wait until stage rules are approved
Before You Finish
- ✓The pipeline can be explained to another person
- ✓No vague stages remain
- ✓Reporting stages and holding stages are intentional
- ✓Manual versus automated movement is documented
- ✓A test opportunity can move cleanly from start to final outcome