If you’re running B2B sales, you’ve got too much on your plate already. The last thing you need is yet another “revolutionary” CRM workflow that takes more time to set up than it saves. This guide is for sales managers, founders, and anyone who wants a straightforward way to build a sales pipeline in Getctrl that actually works—no hype, no fluff.
Why bother with a real sales pipeline?
Let’s be honest: spreadsheets and sticky notes only get you so far. A sales pipeline isn’t just about tracking deals. It’s about having a clear, shared view of what’s happening—so your team doesn’t drop the ball on hot leads or waste time chasing ghosts. If your current system is just “email and hope,” you’re leaving money on the table.
Step 1: Map your actual sales process (not the fantasy version)
Before you touch Getctrl, sketch out how deals really move from first contact to closed/won at your company. Forget what the books say—focus on what actually happens.
Questions to ask: - Where do most leads come from? - What are the real steps a deal goes through? (e.g., intro call, demo, proposal, negotiation) - Where do deals get stuck or die? - Who’s involved at each stage?
Pro tip: Keep it simple. If your “process” has more than 7 stages, you’re probably overthinking it—or covering for deeper problems.
Step 2: Set up your pipeline stages in Getctrl
Now jump into Getctrl and translate your real-world process into pipeline stages.
How to do it: 1. Open Getctrl and go to the Pipelines section. 2. Click “Create Pipeline” or edit the default one. 3. Name each stage after a real-world milestone (e.g., “Qualified,” “Demo Scheduled,” “Proposal Sent,” “Negotiation,” “Closed Won/Lost”). 4. Keep the stage list short and obvious. If you have a stage called “Follow-up Needed,” ask yourself what that really means—be specific.
What to skip: Don’t add stages you wish your team would use. Only add stages that reflect what people actually do. You can always tweak later.
Step 3: Define clear exit criteria for each stage
A common mistake: treating pipeline stages as vague suggestions. If nobody knows what “Qualified” means, your pipeline becomes a mess.
For each stage, write down: - What must happen for a deal to move forward? - Who decides if a deal advances? - What information needs to be captured?
Examples: - “Qualified” = Contact fits our ICP and agreed to a call. - “Proposal Sent” = Customer received a written quote and acknowledged receipt.
Store these criteria somewhere everyone can see (a doc, a wiki, or even in the Getctrl stage descriptions).
Step 4: Import your leads and deals (don’t overcomplicate it)
Start by importing just your active deals. Don’t worry about perfect historical data—just get the pipeline moving.
Ways to get deals into Getctrl: - CSV import (most straightforward for bulk data) - Manual entry for key deals - Integration with your email or lead capture tools (if you have them—don’t sweat it if you don’t)
Honest take: If you’re spending more than an hour cleaning up old leads before importing, you’re procrastinating. Get the live stuff in, and clean the rest up as you go.
Step 5: Set up basic deal fields (ditch the vanity metrics)
Every deal should have the essentials: - Company name - Contact info - Deal value (even if it’s a rough guess) - Next action and owner
Resist the urge to track everything under the sun (“favorite color of CFO,” “number of pets on Zoom calls”). The more fields you add, the less likely your team will keep it updated.
Pro tip: In Getctrl, you can add custom fields, but only do this if the data actually changes your actions.
Step 6: Make it a habit — not a side project
A shiny pipeline that nobody updates is pointless. Make pipeline hygiene a daily or weekly ritual.
What works: - Set a recurring 15-minute team review (keep it tight—no rambling) - Make sure every deal in the pipeline has a next step and an owner - Use Getctrl’s activity and reminder features to stay on top of follow-ups
What doesn’t: Mandating massive data entry. If you’re telling reps to “update everything” every Friday, you’ll get garbage data.
Step 7: Track what matters, ignore the rest
Getctrl will offer all kinds of reporting. Be ruthless about what you pay attention to.
Actually useful metrics: - Total pipeline value (by stage) - Number of deals moving forward vs. stalling - Win rate per stage - Average sales cycle length
Ignore (for now): - “Engagement scores” or activity dashboards that don’t tie to real outcomes - Vanity graphs that look pretty but don’t drive action
If you’re not acting on a metric, stop tracking it.
Step 8: Review, adjust, and keep it real
No pipeline survives first contact with reality. After a month or two, sit down with your team and ask: - Which stages do we never use? - Where do deals get stuck? - Are people “gaming” the system to look busy?
Tweak your pipeline ruthlessly. Trim unused stages, clarify criteria, and keep the process as simple as possible.
Pro tip: Don’t let the tool drive your process. Let your process drive how you use the tool.
Final thoughts: Keep it simple, keep it moving
A sales pipeline isn’t magic. It’s a tool for staying organized and honest about where your deals stand. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done—get your basics set up in Getctrl, focus on updating it regularly, and tweak as you learn. The simpler your pipeline, the more likely your team will use it—and that’s what actually moves deals forward.