If you’ve ever tried to force your sales process into someone else’s idea of a “pipeline,” you know how frustrating it can be. Some CRMs want you to fit your deals into their neat little boxes—and when you can’t, you’re stuck with bad data and annoyed reps. This guide is for anyone who actually wants to make their pipeline fit their sales process, not the other way around. I’ll show you how to set up and track custom pipeline stages in Goldenleads, so you can stop wrestling with software and get back to moving deals forward.
Why bother with custom pipeline stages?
Let’s get this out of the way: The default pipeline in any CRM is a guess. Sometimes it matches how you sell, but most of the time, it doesn’t. Custom pipeline stages matter because:
- You get real visibility—not some “best practice” template that ignores how your team actually works.
- Reporting gets better. If your stages match your reality, your forecasts aren’t just wishful thinking.
- Your team will actually use the CRM. No one wants to drag deals through irrelevant stages.
If your sales process is longer, shorter, or just weirder than average, you’re in the right place.
Step 1: Map your real sales process (before you even touch Goldenleads)
Here’s where most people go wrong: They jump into the CRM and start clicking around. Don’t. First, grab a whiteboard, a notepad, or your favorite diagram tool. Write down every meaningful step a deal goes through, from “new lead” to “closed/won” (or “closed/lost”).
A real-world pipeline might look like: - New Inquiry - Qualified - Demo Scheduled - Proposal Sent - Negotiation - Contract Sent - Won/Lost
Tips: - Skip “fluff” stages like “Follow-Up Needed” unless they trigger a real action. - Fewer stages are better. Only add what you’ll actually use. - Talk to your team—what names make sense to them?
Pro tip: If you can’t agree on what a stage means, it’s too vague. Get specific.
Step 2: Set up your custom pipeline in Goldenleads
Once you’re clear on your process, now it’s time to make Goldenleads work for you.
How to create and edit pipeline stages
- Log in to Goldenleads and head to your pipelines section. This is usually under “Settings” or “Sales Pipelines.”
- Find your pipeline (there may be a default one) and click “Edit” or “Customize.”
- Add your stages one at a time. Use the exact names you mapped earlier.
- Set the order—drag and drop if possible. The flow should match how deals actually progress.
- (Optional) Add descriptions. If Goldenleads lets you, include a short note for each stage. This helps new reps know what “Qualified” or “Negotiation” really means at your company.
- Delete or rename default stages that don’t fit. Don’t feel guilty—those are just placeholders.
What works well: Goldenleads makes it pretty easy to add, remove, and reorder stages. You can often have multiple pipelines if you sell different products or run both inbound and outbound sales.
What to ignore: Don’t get caught up adding “probability” percentages or “expected close dates” for every stage right away. That’s advanced stuff—get the basics working first.
Step 3: Roll out your custom pipeline to the team (and get buy-in)
This is where a lot of sales managers fumble—changing the pipeline without telling the team why. If your reps don’t know what the new stages really mean, they’ll just pick whatever’s closest and move on. Garbage in, garbage out.
Make it stick:
- Run a quick training session (or just a team huddle). Walk through the stages and what qualifies a deal to move forward.
- Document the stages. A simple Google Doc beats a fancy slide deck. Write down what each stage means, with examples.
- Encourage feedback. If people are confused, tweak the stage names or add clarifying notes in Goldenleads.
- Don’t make it a huge change all at once. If your pipeline has 10 stages but you only use 5, start with those 5 and expand later.
Pro tip: People resist change when it feels pointless. Show how these custom stages will actually make their lives easier (fewer “where’s this deal?” emails, less admin busywork).
Step 4: Use your custom pipeline—and actually track deals
Now comes the “tracking” part. A custom pipeline is only useful if you use it consistently.
Moving deals through stages
- Update deals as you work them. Sounds obvious, but this is where most teams drop the ball. Make it part of your daily workflow.
- Set reminders in Goldenleads for deals that get stuck too long in a stage.
- Use filters/views to see which deals are at each stage. This helps with pipeline reviews and spotting bottlenecks.
What works well:
- Goldenleads usually lets you drag-and-drop deals between stages. This makes updating the pipeline less tedious.
- You can set up automations (like reminders or emails) when deals hit certain stages, but keep it simple at first.
What doesn’t work:
- Don’t force every deal through every stage. If you sometimes skip a step (say, you don’t always need a demo), don’t sweat it—just be honest in your tracking.
- Avoid “stage inflation.” More stages ≠ more control. If you start adding stages just to match every possible scenario, things get confusing fast.
Step 5: Reporting and refining—seeing what matters
Now that your pipeline matches reality, reporting finally starts to make sense.
Key things to track:
- Conversion rates between stages. Where do deals get stuck or drop off?
- Average time in stage. If “Proposal Sent” lingers forever, you’ve got a bottleneck.
- Win rates by stage. Are deals more likely to close if they reach a certain point?
Goldenleads’ reporting tools are decent, but don’t expect magic. The data’s only as good as what you (and your team) put in. If something looks off, dig into the details—don’t just trust the charts.
Tuning your pipeline:
- Review every quarter (or sooner if it’s not working). Are stages getting skipped? Is everyone interpreting them the same way?
- Adjust as you go. Rename, combine, or split stages if your process changes. Don’t get sentimental about your pipeline structure.
Pro tip: If you find yourself explaining a stage every week, it’s probably too vague or unnecessary.
What to ignore (unless you really need it)
- Color coding, emojis, and custom icons. Fun, but don’t waste time here. Focus on clarity.
- Hyper-complex automations. Start simple. Automate only what actually saves you time.
- Overly granular tracking. If you need 12 fields to move a deal, your team will stop updating the CRM.
Final thoughts: Keep it simple, review often
Custom pipeline stages in Goldenleads can make your sales process clearer and a lot less painful. But don’t let the tool become the job. Start with the steps that matter, get buy-in from your team, and tweak as you learn what works. No pipeline is perfect on day one. The goal isn’t to have the most detailed pipeline—it’s to have one people use, trust, and actually helps you close more deals. Keep it simple, and adjust as you go.