If you’re stuck with a sales pipeline that doesn’t actually fit how your team sells, you’re not alone. Out-of-the-box setups are fine for demos, but real sales teams have their own quirks and steps. This guide is for anyone who uses Enrow and wants their pipeline to actually make sense—whether you’re managing a small team or just tired of stages like “Proposal Sent” collecting dust.
Here’s how to cut through the clutter and set up pipeline stages in Enrow that match how your business actually works.
Why Custom Pipeline Stages Matter
Let’s get this out of the way: If your pipeline stages don’t match your real process, you’ll end up with useless reports and annoyed salespeople. You want your CRM to reflect reality, not some generic sales theory.
Customizing stages helps you:
- Stay honest about where deals really stand
- Spot bottlenecks (for real, not just in a dashboard)
- Keep your team focused on moving deals forward—not just clicking buttons
But don’t overthink it. The goal isn’t to make your pipeline look impressive. It’s to make it useful.
1. Map Out Your Actual Sales Process (Before Touching Enrow)
Don’t start clicking around in Enrow yet. First, grab a whiteboard, a Google Doc, or even a napkin—whatever gets the team talking.
Questions to ask:
- What are the actual steps from first contact to closed deal?
- Where do deals usually get stuck?
- Are there stages you wish you could skip? (Spoiler: Maybe you should.)
- Do you need different pipelines for different products or teams?
Pro tip: Involve at least one person who actually sells. Don’t let this become a manager-only exercise.
2. Get to Know Enrow’s Pipeline Basics
Enrow’s pipeline is just a series of stages you move deals through. Out of the box, you’ll see something like:
- New Lead
- Contacted
- Demo Scheduled
- Proposal Sent
- Won/Lost
It’s a decent starting point, but you can change any of these—or add your own. You can also have multiple pipelines (handy if you sell different stuff in different ways).
A couple of things Enrow doesn’t do, which you should know:
- No “conditional” stages (e.g., stages that only show up for certain deal types). Keep it simple.
- No automatic stage skipping. Every deal moves step by step, unless you drag it elsewhere.
3. Plan Your Stages—Less Is Usually More
Here’s where most teams go wrong: They add too many stages. Every extra stage is another thing for your reps to ignore or fudge.
What actually belongs in your pipeline?
- Stages you take real, trackable action on. (“Waiting for Legal” is only useful if you do something about it.)
- Stages that mark a meaningful change in deal status (not “Sent a Follow-Up Email #2”).
- Only as many stages as you need to spot bottlenecks and forecast.
Common stages that don’t work:
- “Researching” (you should always be doing this)
- “Follow Up #3” (use tasks, not pipeline stages)
- “Handover” (unless it’s a major stopgap in your process)
Rule of thumb: If you have more than 7–8 stages, you’re probably overcomplicating things.
4. How to Customize Pipeline Stages in Enrow
Now, you’re ready to actually set up your custom stages. Here’s how:
Step 1: Access Your Pipeline Settings
- Log in to Enrow.
- Click on “Settings” in the sidebar.
- Find “Pipelines” under the CRM or Sales section.
Step 2: Edit an Existing Pipeline or Create a New One
- To tweak an existing pipeline, click its name.
- To start fresh, hit “Add Pipeline” and name it.
Step 3: Add, Remove, or Rename Stages
- Each stage is a card in the pipeline.
- To rename: Click the stage name, type your new label, and save.
- To add: Click “Add Stage” at the right end. Name it.
- To remove: Hover over a stage and click the trash/delete icon.
Tips: - Put your most common path first. Don’t bury important stages at the end. - Keep “Won” and “Lost” stages. They’re special—Enrow uses them for reporting.
Step 4: Reorder Stages
- Drag and drop stages to put them in the order deals actually follow.
- Don’t feel you have to match the default flow.
Step 5: Save and Preview
- Always hit “Save” after making changes.
- Look at your pipeline as a user would—does it make sense? Would you actually use it?
5. Test with Real Deals Before Rolling Out
Don’t just build your dream pipeline and expect everyone to love it. Try running a few real deals through it first.
- Ask a couple of reps to move deals through the new stages.
- See where things get confusing or skipped.
- Get honest feedback: What’s useful? What’s just busywork?
You’ll probably find you can remove a stage or two. That’s a good thing.
6. Avoid Common Pitfalls
Some traps are easy to fall into when customizing pipelines:
Too Many Pipelines
- Only create a separate pipeline if the sales process is truly different. If you have more than three pipelines, double-check whether you actually use them all.
Overly Specific Stages
- “Legal Review by Bob” is too specific. Use tasks or notes for details like this.
Not Updating as You Grow
- Your process will change. Don’t treat your pipeline as set in stone. Revisit it every quarter or so.
Ignoring Data Hygiene
- If deals aren’t moving through stages as expected, something’s off. Either your process doesn’t match reality, or nobody’s bothering to update the CRM. Both are a problem.
7. What to Ignore (Most of the Time)
- Custom fields for every stage: Only use these if you actually need to track something at a certain step.
- “Probability” percentages: Unless you’re forecasting at scale, these usually just create arguments. Focus on moving deals forward, not fiddling with numbers.
- Automations for every tiny action: Keep automations for big, repetitive tasks. If you automate everything, nobody learns the process—or fixes it when it changes.
Pro Tips for Rolling Out Your Custom Pipeline
- Get buy-in: Even the best pipeline is useless if nobody uses it. Explain why you’re making changes.
- Train in context: Walk through a real deal together, not just slides.
- Review often: If you see deals piling up in one stage, ask why. It’s usually a sign your process (or your pipeline) needs tweaking.
- Document changes: Keep a simple changelog, so people know what changed and why.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Your sales pipeline isn’t a piece of art—it’s a tool. Don’t aim for perfect; aim for useful. Start with the fewest possible stages that reflect your sales process, see how it works, and adjust as you learn. The best pipeline is the one your team actually uses.
Keep things simple, stay open to feedback, and don’t be afraid to change what isn’t working. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.