If you’re tired of sales tools that slow you down, this guide’s for you. We’ll cut through the fluff and get straight to how you can set up and actually manage sales pipelines in Fluint—so deals move faster, not slower. Whether you’re running a small team or just want to avoid yet another CRM headache, you’ll find real-world advice here. Let’s make your pipeline work for you, not the other way around.
Why a Good Pipeline Beats Guesswork
Here’s the thing: deals rarely move in a straight line. If you’re tracking everything in your head (or in a spreadsheet you’re scared to open), you’re not alone. But that’s also why deals stall, get forgotten, or turn into a mad scramble at quarter-end.
A decent sales pipeline helps you: - See what’s moving and what’s stuck - Stop chasing dead deals - Focus on the deals that matter - Actually forecast, not just hope
Fluint aims to simplify this. But don’t expect magic—getting real value still takes some honest setup and regular upkeep.
Step 1: Map Your Sales Stages—But Don’t Overthink It
Before you touch Fluint, sketch out your actual sales process. Not the “ideal” one from a sales book, but what really happens. Keep it simple. Here’s a bare-bones example:
- New lead: Just landed in your world.
- Qualified: You’ve talked, and they’re worth your time.
- Proposal: You’ve sent pricing or a contract.
- Negotiation: They’re asking questions, maybe haggling.
- Closed won/lost: Deal’s done, one way or another.
Pro tip: Resist adding too many stages like “Demo Scheduled” or “Awaiting Signature” unless you absolutely need them. The more steps, the more things you’ll forget to update.
Step 2: Set Up Your Pipeline in Fluint
Now you’re ready to build this out in Fluint. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds:
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Go to Pipelines:
In Fluint’s main menu, find “Pipelines.” If you don’t see it, you might need admin rights—nag your admin if you’re stuck. -
Create a New Pipeline:
Click “New Pipeline.” Give it a name that makes sense. “Sales” is fine. “2024 Q3 Enterprise Deals” if you want to separate things out. -
Add Your Stages:
Enter the stages you mapped out earlier. Fluint lets you add, remove, or reorder them later—so don’t stress about getting it perfect out of the gate. -
Set Stage Details (Optional):
You can add descriptions or probabilities to each stage. If your team actually uses probability to forecast, go ahead. If not, skip it—no shame. -
Save and Review:
Double-check your stages. If you’re not sure, ask a rep or two if it matches how deals actually move. If you’re solo, trust your gut and tweak as you go.
Step 3: Add and Track Deals
With your pipeline ready, it’s time to fill it up:
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Add Deals Manually:
Click “Add Deal” in your pipeline. Enter the basics: company, contact, deal size, expected close date. Don’t overdo the details—fill in enough to track, but don’t turn it into a form-filling chore. -
Import Existing Deals:
If you’re moving from another CRM or spreadsheet, Fluint usually supports CSV import. Clean up your data first (kill old/dead deals), or you’ll just drag clutter into your new setup. -
Assign Owners:
If you have a team, make sure every deal has a clear owner. “Everyone’s deal” usually means “no one’s deal.”
Step 4: Move Deals Through the Pipeline—Fast, Not Perfect
This is where most teams mess up: they set up a pipeline, then never update it. Fluint tries to make this less painful:
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Drag-and-Drop:
Move deals from stage to stage with a drag. If you’re using your phone or tablet, the interface is decent—though not perfect on every device. -
Bulk Updates:
Need to move a bunch of deals at once? Use Fluint’s bulk actions. Useful after a trade show or a brutal “no-go” batch. -
Notes, Tasks, and Reminders:
Fluint lets you add notes and set reminders for each deal. Use these to track real next steps (“Follow up with Sandy on pricing”), not just “touch base” fluff.
What to ignore:
Don’t waste time logging every tiny interaction. Focus on meaningful updates: big moves, blockers, or anything that changes the odds of winning.
Step 5: Use Pipeline Views—But Don’t Drown in Filters
Fluint offers different views of your pipeline: Kanban boards, lists, sometimes even timeline views (depending on your plan).
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Kanban View:
Great for a quick visual of what’s where. Drag deals around, spot bottlenecks. Works best if you have under 50 active deals. -
List View:
For when you need more info—like deal size, owner, next step—all in one place. Handy if you’re prepping for a pipeline review. -
Filters and Sorting:
Use filters to see, say, “my deals closing this month” or “stuck in negotiation.” But don’t go wild—over-filtering leads to analysis paralysis.
Honest take:
Fancy dashboards are nice, but most of the time, you’ll just need a clear list of what’s closing soon and what’s stuck.
Step 6: Keep Your Pipeline Clean—Ruthlessly
A bloated pipeline full of zombie deals helps nobody. Here’s how to keep things tidy:
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Close Lost Deals Quickly:
If a deal’s gone dark for a month, move it to Closed Lost. You can always revive it later—don’t let wishful thinking clog your pipeline. -
Update Stages After Every Call:
Make it a habit: after any big call or meeting, update the deal’s stage and next step. If you wait, you’ll forget. -
Review Weekly:
Block 15 minutes a week to scan your pipeline. Kill off the deadwood, bump up the real prospects, and flag anything you’re ignoring.
What doesn’t work:
Quarterly pipeline cleanups. By then, it’s too late—your forecast is already fiction.
Step 7: Use Basic Reports—But Stay Skeptical
Fluint has reporting tools: win rates, average sales cycle, pipeline value, and so on. These are worth a look, but don’t let pretty graphs lull you into thinking everything’s fine.
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Look for Trends:
Is your cycle time shrinking? Are deals getting stuck at the same stage? That’s gold—fix the bottleneck, not the symptom. -
Forecast Carefully:
Automated forecasts are only as good as your data. Garbage in, garbage out. Don’t trust 90% close probabilities just because the software says so. -
Share (Some) Reports:
If the team cares, share a simple report in meetings. But don’t let reporting become the job—closing deals is the job.
Pro Tips for Faster, Saner Deal Cycles
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Automate What You Can:
Fluint can send reminders, assign tasks, or even auto-move deals based on activity. Use automation to save time—but check it doesn’t create more noise than it solves. -
Keep It Simple:
More fields, more stages, more automation? Usually just means more admin. Start basic. Only add complexity if you’re sure you need it. -
Iterate, Don’t Overhaul:
Your first pipeline won’t be perfect. Tweak as you go. Ask your team what’s working and what’s a pain.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Let the Tool Run You
Sales pipelines are supposed to help you sell, not give you another thing to babysit. With Fluint, you can set up a simple, functional pipeline in under an hour. Keep it clean, keep it honest, and don’t let features distract you from the basics: moving real deals forward.
When in doubt, cut out what’s not working and double down on what is. The best pipeline is the one you’ll actually use—so keep it simple, review it often, and don’t be afraid to tweak as you learn. Happy selling.