If you’re using Prelay to wrangle your sales pipeline, you’ve probably noticed the default stages don’t always fit the way your team actually works. And if you’ve tried customizing them, you know it’s easy to end up with a bunch of confusing stages nobody really uses—just more noise, less signal.
This guide is for sales managers, ops folks, and anyone else who wants their pipeline to tell the real story. We’ll cover how to set up custom stages in Prelay, actually use them (without making life harder), and avoid pitfalls that trip up most teams. No fluff—just what works, what doesn’t, and what you can skip.
Why Custom Stages Matter (and Where They Go Wrong)
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: One-size-fits-all stages rarely fit anyone. Your deals don’t move from “Discovery” straight to “Closed Won” in perfect order. Maybe you run pilots, maybe you have legal reviews, or maybe your “Negotiation” can drag on for weeks. Custom stages let you map the real process.
But here’s the catch: Too many teams get carried away, adding a stage for every little thing. Before long, nobody remembers what “Internal Review (Phase 2)” even means, and your reports are useless. Custom stages are helpful—until they aren’t.
What works: - Keeping stages simple and clearly defined - Making sure each stage means something to everyone on the team - Updating your stages only when your process actually changes
What doesn’t: - Creating stages for every micro-step (“Sent Email,” “Waiting for Reply,” etc.) - Using jargon or acronyms only one person understands - Trying to copy another company’s process just because it “looks organized”
Step 1: Map Out Your Real-World Sales Process (Before Touching Prelay)
Don’t jump into Prelay and start clicking. First, sketch out how deals actually move through your pipeline. Use a whiteboard, spreadsheet, napkin—whatever.
How to do it: - List the major milestones every deal hits (not the wishful ones, the real ones) - For each stage, write down what has to happen for a deal to move forward - Ask reps where things get stuck or confused—these are your trouble spots
Pro tip:
If you can’t explain a stage to a new hire in one sentence, it’s probably too complicated.
Step 2: Decide Which Stages Matter (And Cut the Rest)
Look at your list and be ruthless. Fewer, clearer stages beat a spaghetti mess every time. Ask yourself:
- Does this stage change what we do or how we work on the deal?
- Can we measure or observe when a deal moves to this stage?
- Is this stage just a task, or is it a real shift in deal status?
What to keep: - Stages that reflect a change in commitment or information (e.g., “Demo Complete,” “Proposal Sent,” “Legal Review”) - Stages that trigger different actions (handoffs, approvals, etc.)
What to toss: - Steps that are just reminders (“Follow-up Call Scheduled”) - Anything that’s really a checklist item, not a stage
Honest take:
Every team thinks they’re “unique.” In reality, most pipelines are 5-7 stages, tops. If you have 10+, you’re probably overcomplicating it.
Step 3: Build Your Custom Stages in Prelay
Now you’re ready to set things up in Prelay. Here’s how to do it without making a mess:
- Go to your pipeline settings and find the section for stages.
- Add your new stages—use plain, descriptive names.
- Order them logically. Early stages first, closed stages at the end.
- Set clear entry/exit criteria for each stage. Write these down somewhere your team can see them.
- Limit the number of stages. If you’re over seven, double-check if you really need them all.
Pro tips: - Use verbs (“Qualify,” “Propose,” “Negotiate”) instead of vague nouns. - Avoid overlapping stages. If you can’t tell which stage a deal should be in, your reps won’t either. - Don’t use custom fields or tags as a substitute for stages. They’re separate tools.
Step 4: Train Your Team (and Actually Listen to Their Feedback)
Custom stages mean nothing if your team ignores them or uses them differently. Take time to walk everyone through the new pipeline. Explain why each stage exists and what it means to move a deal forward.
What works: - Real examples: “When you’ve sent the proposal and got confirmation they’re reviewing, move to ‘Proposal Sent.’” - Short cheat sheets or one-pagers. Nobody reads a 20-page manual. - Ask for feedback after a week or two. If everyone’s stuck or confused on the same stage, your system needs a tweak.
What doesn’t: - Mandating the new system with zero explanation (“because I said so”) - Ignoring feedback because “the stages are already set up”
Reality check:
Even the best-designed stages need adjustment. Don’t get defensive—just fix what’s not working.
Step 5: Use Automation Sparingly—Don’t Let the Tool Drive the Process
Prelay lets you automate moving deals between stages based on triggers. This can save time, but it’s easy to go overboard and end up with deals jumping stages when they shouldn’t.
Good uses for automation: - Moving a deal to “Demo Complete” after a meeting is logged - Shifting to “Negotiation” when a proposal doc gets sent
Bad uses for automation: - Moving deals just because time has passed (e.g., “auto-advance after 7 days”) - Triggering stage changes based on unrelated activity
Pro tip:
Automation should reflect what happened, not predict what might happen. If you wouldn’t trust a robot to run your sales calls, don’t trust one to move your deals around blindly.
Step 6: Review, Adjust, and Keep It Simple
Set a reminder to review your stages every quarter (or after any big process change). Are deals stuck in certain stages? Is everyone using the stages the same way? Are managers and reps getting the insights they need?
What to look for: - Stages where deals pile up = confusion or real bottleneck - Stages nobody uses = probably unnecessary - Complaints or workarounds = your design isn’t clear enough
When you make changes: - Communicate clearly (and briefly) what’s changing and why - Archive old stages instead of deleting, for reporting’s sake - Don’t roll out big changes mid-quarter unless you have to
Honest take:
You’ll never get it perfect on the first try. Good pipelines are living documents. Make small tweaks, not giant overhauls, and don’t be afraid to prune.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
- Color-coding mania: A rainbow of stage colors won’t make your pipeline clearer. Stick to a few for key milestones if you must.
- Every possible sales methodology: Don’t try to bake MEDDIC, BANT, and Challenger into your stages all at once.
- “Future-proofing” for every scenario: Build for what you do now. You can always add a stage later if your process changes.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Real, Keep It Simple
Custom stages in Prelay should make your life easier, not harder. If your pipeline doesn’t match reality, fix it. If a stage causes more confusion than clarity, ditch it. Don’t chase perfection—just make steady improvements based on what’s actually happening in your deals.
Start with a simple, honest map of your real process. Build it in Prelay with clear stages, plain language, and regular check-ins. The result? A pipeline you can trust, reports you can actually use, and a team that spends less time arguing about stages and more time closing deals.