Sales forecasts are only as good as the data you feed them. If your team’s pipeline updates are scattered, late, or missing, your forecasts are just guesses in a spreadsheet. This guide is for sales managers, operations folks, and anyone tired of chasing down reps for updates. We’ll walk through how to automate pipeline tracking in Laserfocus so you can finally trust your numbers, spot risks early, and spend less time herding cats.
Why automate pipeline tracking anyway?
Let’s cut through the hype: most sales teams still rely on a mix of manual updates, back-and-forth emails, and last-minute CRM scrambles. It’s a headache. Here’s what automation actually gets you:
- Cleaner data: Updates happen on time, not days later.
- Less nagging: You’re not chasing reps for pipeline changes.
- Better forecasts: You see the real story, not “happy ears.”
- Early warnings: Stalled deals don’t slip under the radar.
But automation isn’t magic. It only helps if your team actually uses the system, and if you set it up thoughtfully. Let’s get practical.
Step 1: Get your pipeline stages right (don’t skip this)
Before you even think about automation, take a hard look at your pipeline stages in Laserfocus. If they’re too vague or don’t match your real sales process, your automation will just speed up bad data.
Quick gut check: - Are the stages clear to everyone? (E.g., “Demo Scheduled” vs. “Demo Done.”) - Do reps actually update them as they work deals? - Can you tell at a glance which stage predicts a real chance of closing?
Pro tip: If people constantly ask, “what counts as 'Commit'?” — your stage definitions need work.
What works: Fewer, well-defined stages. Make sure each one triggers a clear sales activity.
What to ignore: Overcomplicating with 10+ micro-stages. You’ll just get more stale deals stuck in limbo.
Step 2: Set up automatic activity tracking
Laserfocus connects to your email and calendar to automatically log sales activities (calls, meetings, emails) against deals. This is where automation starts to pay off.
How to get started: 1. Connect your email and calendar accounts under settings. This lets Laserfocus track sales touchpoints automatically. 2. Map activity types to your sales process. Decide what counts as “meaningful touch” for your team — e.g., meetings, phone calls, not just automated emails. 3. Test the sync: Run a few sample activities and make sure they show up on the right deals in Laserfocus.
What works: Activity tracking highlights deals that have gone cold — if there’s no activity for X days, you (and the rep) get a heads up.
What doesn’t: Relying only on email opens or marketing newsletter clicks. These are vanity metrics. Focus on real conversations.
Step 3: Automate pipeline updates with reminders and nudges
Even with activity tracking, deal stages won’t update themselves. The next step is to set up automated reminders and nudges so reps update their pipeline regularly, not just before the forecast meeting.
How to do it: 1. Schedule automated reminders: In Laserfocus, set up weekly (or even daily) reminders for reps to review and update their deals. Make it part of the team’s routine. 2. Use in-app nudges: Laserfocus can prompt reps to update deals that haven’t moved in a set number of days, or where activity has stalled. 3. Surface stale deals: Create a dashboard or report that flags deals with no recent activity or unchanged stage for too long.
What works: Short, focused reminders. “Update your pipeline every Friday by 4pm.” Not “Just a friendly quarterly reminder…”
What to ignore: Over-notifying. Too many pings and reps tune it out.
Honest take: The more reminders feel like a “gotcha,” the less people use them. Frame it as “this helps you, not just the boss.”
Step 4: Build automated reports and forecasting dashboards
Now you’re collecting cleaner, fresher data. Time to put it to work. Laserfocus lets you build dashboards that automatically pull in pipeline changes, activity history, and deal health — no more spreadsheet gymnastics.
To set up: 1. Choose your key metrics: Focus on things you actually use — pipeline coverage, deal velocity, win rates, forecast by stage. 2. Build or customize dashboards: Use Laserfocus templates or build your own. Set them to update automatically, not “refresh only when Steve remembers.” 3. Share with the right people: Make dashboards visible to reps, managers, and execs. The goal is transparency, not just a manager-only power trip.
What works: Set up “at-risk deals” views that update in real time. You want early warnings, not post-mortems.
What doesn’t: Fancy charts no one looks at. Keep it simple and actionable.
Step 5: Tighten your forecasting process (and keep it honest)
With automated pipeline tracking, you can finally tighten up your forecast process. The big win here is accuracy — you’re not relying on gut feel or last-minute updates.
Here’s how to make it work: - Set a regular forecast cadence: Weekly or bi-weekly. Automation keeps the data fresh, but you still need a rhythm. - Use historical data: Laserfocus tracks changes over time. Compare current pipeline to past quarters, not just last week’s “vibes.” - Flag sandbagging or “ghost” deals: Use activity data to call out deals that haven’t moved or had a touch in weeks. - Coach, don’t just punish: Use what you find to coach reps toward better habits, not just to beat them up over lost deals.
What works: Forecasting meetings where you actually review the real pipeline, not just hear stories.
What to watch: Reps gaming the system by moving deals around to avoid nudges. Keep an eye out for stage-hopping with no real activity.
Step 6: Keep iterating — automation isn’t “set it and forget it”
You’ll never get pipeline automation perfect on the first try. That’s normal.
Check in every month or two: - Are the reminders working? Or just getting ignored? - Are dashboards surfacing the right risks? - Are reps finding loopholes or creative workarounds?
Tweak as needed. Ask your team what’s helping — and what’s just noise. Automation should make things easier, not add busywork.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
- Assuming automation fixes everything: It won’t. You need buy-in and a culture of honesty.
- Setting and forgetting: Automation needs tuning. Don’t ignore feedback.
- Tracking the wrong things: Focus on actual sales activities and real deal movement.
- Overcomplicating: Simple, visible rules work best. If it takes a PhD to explain your process, it’s too much.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple and build from there
Automating pipeline tracking in Laserfocus can take you from “I think we’re on track?” to knowing what’s really going on. But don’t get sucked into over-engineering. Start with clear pipeline stages, real activity tracking, and a couple of well-placed reminders. Build dashboards that actually answer the questions you care about. Iterate as you go — and remember, no tool is a substitute for honest conversations and good sales management.
No more chasing updates. No more “how did we miss that?” Just cleaner data, better forecasts, and more time to actually sell. Keep it simple, and improve as you learn what works for your team.