If your B2B sales process feels like herding cats, you’re not alone. Spreadsheets break. Generic CRMs never quite fit. This guide is for B2B teams who want a sales pipeline that actually matches how they sell—not some template cooked up by a consultant who’s never closed a deal.
We'll walk through building and customizing sales pipelines in Vocal. No fluff, no silver bullets. Just clear steps, honest advice, and the stuff you can skip. Let’s get to it.
1. Why Custom Sales Pipelines Matter (and Where Most Go Wrong)
Most B2B teams have unique quirks—long sales cycles, weird approval loops, or that one key decision maker who’s always on vacation. Off-the-shelf pipeline templates rarely fit. Here’s why it’s worth investing a bit of time in building your own:
- Visibility: A pipeline that matches your actual steps shows you where deals are stuck or falling apart.
- Focus: Custom stages keep the team on the same page, instead of arguing about what “Negotiation” actually means.
- Better Forecasting: When your pipeline reflects reality, your forecasts stop being fiction.
What to avoid:
- Overcomplicating with 9+ stages—no one remembers what “Legal Review 2” is.
- Blindly copying someone else’s pipeline. Yours probably needs tweaks.
2. Getting Started in Vocal: The Basics
First things first, you’ll need access to your team’s Vocal account. If you’re not an admin, you’ll need to get one involved for pipeline setup.
You’ll need: - Admin or manager permissions in Vocal. - A list (or sticky note) of your current sales steps. - 20-30 minutes for the first draft.
Pro tip: Don’t wait for the “perfect” process. Get something live, then tweak it.
3. Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Pipeline
Step 1: Find the Pipelines Section
- Log into Vocal.
- Click on “Settings” or the gear icon (usually top right).
- Look for “Pipelines” or “Sales Pipelines” in the menu.
If you can’t find it, your account might not have pipelines enabled, or your permissions are limited. Ask your admin.
Step 2: Hit “Create Pipeline” (Don’t Overthink the Name)
- Give the pipeline a clear name. “Enterprise Sales” or “SMB Pipeline”—whatever matches the deals this will track.
- Ignore the urge to name it after a sales methodology unless your team actually uses one.
Step 3: Add Stages That Reflect Reality
Start with the real steps deals go through—no more, no less. A typical B2B pipeline might look like:
- Lead In
- Qualified
- Discovery Call
- Proposal Sent
- Negotiation
- Closed Won
- Closed Lost
Some things to keep in mind: - Fewer stages = easier to manage. - If a stage isn’t actionable (“Waiting for Godot”), cut it. - You can always add or remove stages later.
Pro tip: Ask your reps what actually happens—don’t just guess.
Step 4: Set Stage Details (Optional, but Useful)
For each stage, Vocal usually lets you set:
- Stage probability (chance of closing): If you forecast, set rough percentages. Otherwise, skip for now.
- Stage description: Short, clear notes help new folks onboard faster.
- Entry/exit criteria: If you want consistency, define what counts as “done” for each stage.
Don’t obsess over these details. Good enough for now is good enough.
Step 5: Save and Share with the Team
- Click “Save” or “Create.”
- Make sure your team knows where to find the new pipeline.
- Ask for feedback after a week or two—nothing beats real-world use.
4. Customizing Your Pipeline for Real-World B2B Sales
Now for the stuff that actually makes a difference.
Renaming or Reordering Stages
- Drag and drop stages to match your real flow.
- Rename any stage that confuses people. (“Proposal Out” vs. “Contract Sent”—pick one.)
- Don’t be afraid to delete stages. Less is usually more.
Adding Custom Fields
B2B deals usually have oddball details—renewal dates, contract size, decision makers. In Vocal, you can add custom fields:
- Go to pipeline settings, look for “Custom fields.”
- Add fields like “Contract Value,” “Renewal Date,” or “Key Stakeholder.”
- Make sure the fields are actually useful. If no one fills it in, kill it.
Filtering and Views
- Set up filters by stage, owner, deal size, or industry.
- Create saved views for “My Deals This Quarter” or “Stuck in Negotiation.”
- Don’t go overboard—too many views just confuse people.
Automations (Handle With Care)
Vocal has some automation features—auto-assigning deals, reminders, or stage-based tasks.
- Use automations for repetitive stuff (e.g., assign follow-ups when a deal hits “Proposal Sent”).
- Avoid automating personal touches. No one wants a bot sending the same “Just checking in” email.
- Start simple. If automations break or annoy your team, turn them off.
Multiple Pipelines (If You Really Need Them)
You might need separate pipelines for very different sales motions (e.g., new business vs. renewals).
- Only add a second pipeline if the process is truly different.
- More pipelines = more admin work. Don’t create extra unless you need it.
5. Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Too Many Stages: If your pipeline looks like a Gantt chart, no one will use it.
- Stage Creep: Resist adding a new stage every time a deal gets stuck.
- Zombie Deals: Build a habit of closing out dead deals. Stale pipelines are worse than no pipeline.
- Ignoring Feedback: Your reps use the pipeline every day. If they say it’s confusing, believe them.
6. What to Skip (Unless You Love Wasting Time)
- Over-Engineering: Fancy automations, every possible field, or integrations with 10 other tools. Start basic.
- Copying Big Company Processes: What works for Salesforce’s 1000-person team won’t fit a 5-person startup.
- Weekly Pipeline Redesigns: Make changes quarterly at most, or you’ll drive everyone nuts.
7. Iterating: When and How to Tweak Your Pipeline
Reality changes. So should your pipeline.
- Review quarterly: Ask what’s working and what isn’t. Are deals getting stuck? Are stages ignored?
- Small changes beat big overhauls: Change one thing at a time.
- Keep an archive: Don’t delete old pipelines until you’re sure no one needs the data.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Make It Yours
A sales pipeline should help your team sell—not add busywork. Start simple in Vocal, use the real steps your team follows, and don’t be afraid to cut what doesn’t work. The goal isn’t a perfect process—it’s a tool that helps you spot problems, focus your team, and keep deals moving.
Above all: iterate. Most teams don’t get it right on the first try. That’s normal. Build a pipeline in Vocal that fits your real workflow—not someone else’s idea of sales. And if in doubt? Fewer stages, fewer fields, and way less busywork. Quality beats complexity every time.