If you’ve ever watched a deal stall out for no good reason, you know the pain of a messy sales pipeline. This guide is for sales leads, managers, and anyone tired of deals slipping through the cracks. We’ll cover how to actually build and manage a pipeline in Hypertide that helps you close faster—without getting lost in “features” you’ll never use.
Let’s keep it practical: what works, what doesn’t, and how to skip the busywork.
1. Understand What a Sales Pipeline Is (and Isn’t)
Before you start clicking around, let’s get clear. A sales pipeline in Hypertide is just a set of stages your deals move through, from first contact to won (or lost). It’s a way to see where every deal stands so you can focus on what matters.
It’s not:
- A magic fix for bad sales habits.
- A “set it and forget it” tool.
- A guarantee you’ll close deals faster—unless you actually work it.
Pro tip: The best pipelines are simple. Overcomplicate it, and you’ll spend more time managing deals than closing them.
2. Map Your Real-World Sales Process (Don’t Copy Templates Blindly)
You can set up a pipeline in Hypertide in minutes, but if you just use the default stages (“Qualified,” “Proposal Sent,” etc.), you’ll probably end up ignoring it.
Here’s what actually works:
- List out the steps your team actually takes. Write them on paper first.
- Identify bottlenecks. Where do deals usually get stuck? Make those stages visible.
- Keep it short. 5–7 stages is plenty for most teams.
Common stages (adapt as needed): - New Lead - Contacted - Discovery Call - Proposal Sent - Negotiation - Closed Won / Closed Lost
What to avoid: Don’t add a stage for every little email or meeting. If nobody knows what a stage means, it shouldn’t be there.
3. Set Up Your Pipeline in Hypertide
Now you know your stages, it’s time to build them into Hypertide. Here’s how:
a. Create a New Pipeline
- Navigate to the Pipelines section.
- Usually under “Sales” or “Opportunities.” If you can’t find it, search “Pipeline” in the main menu.
- Click “Create Pipeline” or the plus (+) button.
- Name your pipeline.
- Be specific. “Enterprise Sales Q2,” not just “Pipeline.”
b. Add Your Stages
- Click “Add Stage” for each step you mapped.
- Name them exactly how your team talks.
- Drag and drop to reorder.
Pro tip: Don’t worry about getting it perfect. You can tweak stages later.
c. Set Stage Requirements (Optional)
- Some teams like to require certain info (e.g., forecast amount, key contact) before a deal moves forward.
- Only add requirements if they help—not just to “make sure reps fill out every field.”
d. Assign Owners and Permissions
- Decide who can see and edit the pipeline. If you’re a small team, keep it simple: everyone can see everything.
- For bigger teams, you might want private pipelines for sensitive deals.
4. Add Deals (Don’t Wait for Perfect Data)
You can import deals from a spreadsheet, sync from your email/CRM, or just add them one at a time.
Quick way to start:
- Add your top 10 active deals manually.
- Fill in just the essentials: company, contact, deal value, current stage.
What not to worry about: - Filling in every possible field. - Getting every historical deal in the system right away. Focus on what’s active now.
Pro tip: If your team hates data entry, make a deal of it. Buy pizza for the person who adds the most deals in the first week.
5. Use Views and Filters to Focus (Not Just for Pretty Dashboards)
Hypertide gives you filtering and sorting options. These are actually useful—if you keep it simple.
Best uses:
- Filter by stage: See what’s stuck in “Proposal Sent.”
- Sort by value: Focus on biggest deals first.
- Filter by owner: Quickly check on a rep’s pipeline in 30 seconds.
What to ignore: - Custom charts and over-designed dashboards (until you actually need them). - Exporting to spreadsheets just to look busy.
6. Move Deals—And Actually Work the Pipeline
A pipeline only helps if you use it daily. Here’s what that looks like:
- Drag deals to the next stage as you progress. Don’t let things linger in the wrong stage.
- Set reminders for follow-ups. Use Hypertide’s built-in reminders or your own calendar.
- Review stuck deals weekly. If a deal hasn’t moved in 2 weeks, ask why. Nudge, escalate, or close it out.
Pro tip: Celebrate closing lost deals too. Clearing out dead weight gives you a more honest pipeline (and frees up brain space).
7. Track Pipeline Health—But Don’t Obsess Over Metrics
Hypertide can spit out all sorts of stats: deal velocity, win/loss rates, forecasted revenue. Some are useful, some just clutter.
What’s worth tracking: - Total pipeline value - Number of deals per stage - Average time in each stage - Win rate
What you can skip (at least early on): - Custom conversion ratios by product line - “Engagement scores” (unless you know how they’re calculated) - AI-powered forecasts (sometimes more wishful thinking than useful)
Honest take: If you’re spending more time tweaking reports than talking to customers, back up. Keep the metrics simple.
8. Iterate: Tweak Stages and Process Based on What You Learn
No pipeline setup is perfect on day one. After a month, patterns will emerge:
- Are deals piling up in one stage? Maybe you need to break it into two.
- Are reps skipping stages? Maybe those steps aren’t needed.
- Are you always missing required info? Remove or simplify those fields.
Rule of thumb: If your team isn’t using a stage, kill it. Pipelines are supposed to make your life easier, not more complicated.
9. Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
Over-engineering: Too many stages, too many required fields, too many automations. Keep it lean.
Letting it go stale: A pipeline with old, dead deals is worse than no pipeline at all. Set a “spring cleaning” day every month.
Ignoring input from the team: If reps aren’t using the pipeline, ask why. Usually, you’ll hear about clunky stages or pointless fields.
Chasing every new feature: Stick to the basics that drive real sales. You don’t need AI scoring or elaborate automations unless you’ve nailed the fundamentals.
10. Quick Reference: What Matters Most
- Start simple: Fewer stages, fewer fields.
- Work it daily: Move deals, review stuck ones.
- Iterate: Tweak as you go, don’t wait for “perfect.”
- Stay honest: Close out dead deals, don’t pad the pipeline.
Building a usable sales pipeline in Hypertide isn’t about using every bell and whistle. Start with what’s real, skip the “nice-to-haves,” and focus on deals that actually move. If you keep it simple and review your process every month or two, you’ll spend less time herding data and more time closing deals. That’s the whole point.