If you’re running a SaaS company, you don’t have time for bloated guides or sales theories. You need a sales pipeline that actually moves deals forward—and doesn’t turn into yet another unused tool. This guide is for SaaS founders, sales leads, and anyone tired of “growth hacks” that never last. We’ll walk through how to build a high-converting sales pipeline in Gamma, step by step, with real talk about what works, what doesn’t, and what to skip.
Step 1: Be Honest About What Your Pipeline Needs
Before you even open Gamma, get clear on what you actually need from a pipeline. Too many SaaS teams start with “best practices” and end up with a Frankenstein’s monster of stages, automations, and fields nobody uses. Here’s what matters:
- Simple, clear stages. If you can’t explain each one in a sentence, it’s too complicated.
- Visibility. You should see, at a glance, where every deal stands.
- No busywork. Every field and step should have a reason to exist. If you’re tracking something “just in case,” you’ll ignore it anyway.
Pro tip: For most SaaS teams, 4–6 pipeline stages is plenty. More than that and people start skipping steps or get lost.
Step 2: Define Your Sales Stages (And Ignore the Fluff)
Open up a doc and write down your real sales process. Not the one you wish you had, but what actually happens. Most SaaS pipelines look something like this:
- Lead Inbound – Someone signs up, fills a form, or gets referred.
- Qualified – You’ve checked they’re a potential fit (right size, right industry, etc.).
- Demo/Discovery – You’re talking to them, showing the product, and digging into needs.
- Proposal Sent – There’s a real offer on the table.
- Negotiation/Review – You’re ironing out details, maybe legal or procurement is involved.
- Closed Won/Lost – The deal’s either done or dead.
That’s it. Don’t add extra stages for every micro-step (“Awaiting Reply,” “Procurement Review,” “Final Final Contract Review”) unless your process absolutely demands it.
What to ignore: Fancy “AI scoring” or “deal health” fields—unless you have a big team and real data to back up those numbers, it’s just noise.
Step 3: Set Up Your Pipeline in Gamma
Now you’re ready to actually use Gamma. Gamma is a flexible workspace, not a traditional CRM, so you can set it up how you want. Here’s how to get moving fast:
1. Create a New Workspace or Board
- Start a new board or workspace for your sales pipeline.
- Name it something obvious, like “Sales Pipeline” or “Deals.”
2. Add Columns for Each Sales Stage
- Each column = one of your sales stages from earlier.
- Don’t get clever with color-coding or emojis unless it helps you. The goal is speed, not style points.
3. Add Fields for Key Deal Info
At a minimum, track:
- Company name
- Contact name/email
- Deal size (estimated)
- Next step (short text field: “Send contract,” “Schedule demo,” etc.)
- Owner (who’s responsible)
Skip: Custom scoring, “lead source” dropdowns, or fields you never actually use. You can always add later if you find yourself wishing for them.
4. Add a “Notes” or “Activity” Section
- Drop quick notes, call summaries, or links to emails so you don’t forget what happened last.
- Don’t overthink formatting—just make it searchable.
Pro tip: If you’re working with a team, decide how updates should be made. Daily? After every call? If you don’t set this expectation, the pipeline turns into a graveyard.
Step 4: Plug in Your Sources and Keep It Updated
It doesn’t matter how nice your pipeline looks if nobody uses it. Here’s how to keep Gamma working (and not just gathering dust):
- Add new leads right away. If someone fills out a demo form or replies to an email, drop them in.
- Move deals every time something changes. Demo booked? Move to “Demo.” Contract sent? Move to “Proposal Sent.”
- Set a recurring task to review stuck deals. Once a week, scan for deals sitting too long in one stage. Decide: push, pause, or kill it.
What doesn’t work: Letting “maybe” deals pile up because you’re afraid to mark them lost. Be ruthless. A smaller, honest pipeline is worth ten times more than a bloated, wishful one.
Step 5: Focus on Conversion, Not Vanity Metrics
A “high converting” pipeline isn’t about having the most deals at the top. It’s about moving real opportunities from stage to stage, without clogging the works with ghosts and tire-kickers.
- Track conversion rates, not just counts. What % of leads turn into deals? Where do most drop off?
- Identify bottlenecks. If everything stalls at “Demo,” maybe your pitch needs work or you’re qualifying the wrong people.
- Don’t obsess over dashboards. One simple report—“deals by stage, this month”—is often enough.
Pro tip: Every month, review your lost deals. Are there patterns? Did you lose to price, missing features, or just bad fit? Use that to tweak your process, not just your pitch.
Step 6: Automate Only What Saves You Real Time
Gamma isn’t a “set it and forget it” CRM, but you can automate a few things—if it actually helps.
Worth automating:
- Email notifications when a deal is assigned to you or moves stages.
- Simple reminders for follow-ups (especially if you’re juggling lots of deals).
Not worth the effort (for most SaaS teams):
- Complex lead scoring models.
- Automatic enrichment from LinkedIn or databases (unless you really need it and have the budget).
- “AI” assistants that promise to write your emails (they mostly sound like robots).
Start with the basics. If you find yourself doing the same manual steps every day, then look for a way to automate that specific thing.
Step 7: Iterate—Don’t Wait for Perfection
The best sales pipelines are living things. Don’t spend three weeks setting up the “perfect” system only to realize nobody uses it. Ship something basic, see where it breaks, and fix it as you go.
- Check in with your team. Are they actually using Gamma, or updating a spreadsheet on the side?
- Tweak stages if needed. If deals never sit in “Proposal Sent,” maybe you can combine it with another stage.
- Stay honest. If a field isn’t used, kill it. If a step is skipped, ask why.
Keep It Simple and Keep Moving
A high-converting pipeline isn’t about fancy features or endless customization. It’s about knowing where every deal stands, what needs to happen next, and making it dead simple for your team to keep it up to date. Start with the basics, ignore the hype, and don’t be afraid to trim what you don’t use. The best sales process is the one your team actually sticks with—so keep it simple, keep iterating, and let Gamma help you get out of your own way.