If you’re responsible for sales, you already know this: a messy pipeline leads to missed deals and wasted time. This guide is for anyone who wants to wrangle their sales process in Matchkraft—whether you’re the only rep or wrangling a team. We’ll skip the fluff and walk through how to actually track, review, and improve your pipeline stages without getting lost in dashboards or sales theory.
1. Get Your Pipeline Stages Set Up (Or Clean Them Up)
Before you can track or optimize anything, you need to make sure your pipeline stages actually reflect how you sell. Most CRMs, including Matchkraft, come with default stages. They might be “Lead,” “Contacted,” “Qualified,” “Proposal Sent,” “Closed Won/Lost.” That’s fine as a starting point, but let’s be real: nobody’s sales process fits a template exactly.
How to check and edit your pipeline stages in Matchkraft:
- Go to your Pipeline settings (usually under “Settings” > “Pipelines”).
- Review each stage. Does it map to a real, distinct step in your process? If you have two versions of “Demo Scheduled,” that’s a red flag.
- Rename or merge stages that are redundant or unclear.
- Add missing stages if there’s an important step that’s not tracked (for example, a legal review or a technical evaluation).
- Keep the number of stages manageable—5 to 7 is usually plenty. More than that, and you’re just giving yourself more admin work.
Pro tip: For each stage, write a one-sentence definition. If your team can’t agree on what counts as “Qualified,” expect your pipeline data to get messy fast.
2. Make Sure Every Deal Is in the Right Stage
A pipeline only works if deals move through it accurately. If you’re not updating deal stages, your reporting is garbage—full stop.
Best practices:
- Make it a habit to update deal stages every time you interact with a lead or customer.
- Train your team to do the same. If you’re solo, build it into your daily routine.
- Use Matchkraft’s bulk update features if you need to clean up a backlog.
- Set up automations for obvious stage changes (e.g., when a proposal is sent, auto-move the deal to “Proposal Sent”).
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over every micro-step. If you’re tempted to add a stage for “Called but left voicemail,” resist. Keep it simple.
3. Track Key Metrics That Actually Matter
Matchkraft will throw a lot of numbers at you. Here’s what you should care about:
- Deal count per stage: Are deals getting stuck? Too many in “Qualified” and not enough moving to “Proposal Sent” means something’s off.
- Conversion rate between stages: If only 5% of “Contacted” deals become “Qualified,” you might be chasing the wrong leads.
- Average time in stage: If deals linger forever in “Proposal Sent,” your follow-up or pricing process may be the issue.
- Win rate: The percentage of total deals that make it to “Closed Won.” This is your end goal.
How to check these in Matchkraft:
- Go to your pipeline overview or reports section.
- Look for stage-by-stage breakdowns—most CRMs show these as columns with counts and percentages.
- Export data if needed; sometimes a spreadsheet is easier for spotting issues than a dashboard.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics. Don’t get distracted by “number of calls made” or “emails sent” unless those actually move deals forward.
4. Review Pipeline Health Regularly (But Not Obsessively)
You don’t need to check your pipeline every hour. Once a week is plenty for most teams.
How to run a simple pipeline review:
- Filter out deals that haven’t been touched in 30+ days. These are probably dead; move them out or close them.
- Look at deals stuck at a stage longer than your average. Ask: what’s the holdup? Is it internal (e.g., waiting on a contract) or external (e.g., client ghosting)?
- Identify bottlenecks. If everyone’s stuck at “Proposal Sent,” it might be time to review your proposal template or process.
- Celebrate wins, but also look at “Closed Lost” deals. Why did they stall or disappear? Sometimes you’ll spot a pattern (wrong target, bad fit, pricing objections).
Pro tip: Keep your reviews short and honest. Don’t sugarcoat problems—just fix them.
5. Optimize Stages Based on Real Data, Not Gut Feelings
Now for the good part: making your pipeline better. Here’s how to tweak your process without making things more complicated.
- Remove or merge stages that are rarely used. If you have a stage with only a handful of deals per quarter, it’s probably not needed.
- Rename stages for clarity. “Negotiation” might mean different things to different reps. Use language everyone understands.
- Shorten the pipeline if deals move fast. If most deals skip a stage, combine or drop it.
- Add a stage only if it reflects a real, trackable milestone. For example: “Technical Validation Complete” if that’s a go/no-go step for your business.
- Set up reminders or automations for stale deals. Matchkraft lets you nudge reps (or yourself) if a deal hasn’t advanced in X days.
What to ignore: Shiny new features or “AI-powered” pipeline suggestions. If a feature doesn’t actually help you close more deals—or make your life easier—skip it.
6. Get Your Team (or Yourself) Bought In
A pipeline is only as good as the people using it. Here’s how to make sure your process sticks:
- Explain the why. People are more likely to update stages if they know it helps avoid double work or chasing dead leads.
- Train new team members on your definitions and process.
- Keep feedback loops open. If someone says a stage doesn’t make sense, listen and adjust.
- Don’t be a pipeline cop. Encourage accuracy, not perfection.
Pro tip: If you’re solo, treat your pipeline as your to-do list. If you’re in a team, make pipeline reviews part of your regular meetings (but keep them quick).
7. Rinse and Repeat: Pipeline Optimization Is Ongoing
This isn’t a one-and-done job. Your sales process will change as you learn more about your customers and market.
- Schedule a pipeline review every quarter. Look for stages that need tweaking.
- Ask the team what’s working and what’s a pain.
- Don’t be afraid to simplify. If your pipeline feels like a chore, cut steps.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Don’t let your pipeline become a monster you dread updating. Focus on clear, meaningful stages, regular updates, and honest reviews. Ignore the hype—fancy dashboards and AI don’t matter if the basics are broken. Start simple, fix what’s broken, and keep tweaking. That’s how you get a pipeline that actually helps you close more deals, not just track them.