If your sales pipeline feels like a game of telephone—slow, confusing, and full of dropped balls—you're not alone. Most B2B teams know their process is too complex (or too vague), but reworking it seems risky. This guide is for teams who want their pipeline in HoneyPipe to actually match how deals get done, not how some consultant thinks they should. Here’s how to cut the fluff and build pipeline stages that drive real results.
Why Your Pipeline Stages Matter (and Where Most Go Wrong)
Let’s get honest: most B2B sales pipelines are either a graveyard of dead deals or a wishful thinking exercise. Here’s why:
- Too many stages: Every little task gets its own stage. No one has time for that.
- Vague definitions: What does “In Negotiation” actually mean? Ask five reps, get seven answers.
- Outdated process: You’re stuck with stages that made sense two years ago, but don’t fit your deals now.
- CRM for CRM’s sake: The pipeline is built to please managers, not to help reps close deals.
A good pipeline is a tool, not a report card. If your team doesn’t use it, it’s not working.
Step 1: Map Your Real-World Sales Process (Not the Theoretical One)
Before you touch HoneyPipe, sketch out how deals actually move from start to finish. Forget the official playbook—ask your reps what really happens.
Do this: - Grab a whiteboard or a doc. - List the main milestones every deal hits (not every email or call). - For each, write down what needs to happen for a deal to move forward.
Example (SaaS B2B): - Qualified: We’ve talked to a real decision-maker and know their pain. - Demo Scheduled: They agreed to see a demo—calendar invite sent. - Demo Completed: We ran the demo, answered questions. - Proposal Sent: They have numbers in hand. - Negotiation: Legal, procurement, or custom terms being discussed. - Closed Won/Lost: Deal is signed or dead.
Pro Tip: If you hear “well, sometimes…” a lot, that’s a sign your old pipeline didn’t match reality.
Step 2: Cut or Combine Stages That Don’t Add Value
More stages don’t mean more control. Every extra step is a chance to lose track—or lose interest.
Ask yourself for each stage: - Does it signal a real change in deal status? - Is it clear what has to happen to advance? - Do reps actually use this stage, or just click through?
What to skip: - “Initial Contact” (unless you count cold emails as pipeline deals, which most teams shouldn’t) - “Follow Up” (that’s an activity, not a pipeline stage) - “Verbal Commit” (unless there’s a clear, agreed process for this)
If it’s not measurable, don’t make it a stage.
Step 3: Define Each Stage in Plain English
If your team can’t agree on what a stage means, you’re just creating busywork.
Write a 1-2 sentence definition for each stage: - What’s happened? - What’s required to move forward?
Example: - Demo Scheduled: “Customer has agreed to a demo, and it’s on the calendar. Not just ‘interested’—there’s a time booked.”
Tip: Add these definitions as tooltips or notes in HoneyPipe so no one’s guessing.
Step 4: Set Up and Customize Stages in HoneyPipe
Now, fire up HoneyPipe and make the pipeline work for you, not the other way around.
How to do it: 1. Go to Pipeline Settings: Find your pipeline, and open up the stage editor. 2. Add or rename stages: Use the language your team uses, not what came out of the box. 3. Order stages logically: Deals should only move forward or drop out—no backtracking. 4. Add definitions: Use HoneyPipe’s description or notes field so everyone’s on the same page. 5. Remove default clutter: Delete or hide any stages you don’t need.
Watch out for: - Accidentally re-creating old, useless stages out of habit. - Over-automating (like auto-moving deals based on emails; it sounds cool, but often just creates noise).
Step 5: Tie Activities and Reminders to Stages—But Don’t Overdo It
Some CRMs want you to set a reminder for every stage. That’s overkill. In reality, you only need prompts where deals actually stall.
Do: - Set reminders on long stages (like “Negotiation” or “Proposal Sent”). - Use tasks or checklists for handoffs (like from sales to legal).
Skip: - Automated reminders for every stage (“Have you followed up yet?”—your reps already know). - Over-complicated workflows (if you need a diagram to explain it, it’s too much).
Step 6: Review and Iterate (Don’t Set and Forget)
Your sales process isn’t static. Review your pipeline every quarter or after a big shift (new product, new market, etc.).
How to review: - Are deals bunching up in certain stages? That’s a friction point. - Is everyone using the pipeline the same way? If not, you need clearer definitions or fewer stages. - Did deals move through the pipeline as expected, or did reps skip stages?
Change what’s not working. Don’t wait for the annual planning meeting.
Pro Tips for B2B Teams Using HoneyPipe
- Don’t chase “best practices” for their own sake. What works for a 10-person SaaS startup won’t fit a 500-person manufacturing sales org.
- Keep it simple. The fewer moving parts, the better.
- Ask your team, not just your CRM admin. If reps don’t use it, it’s wasted effort.
- Automate carefully. Automation helps with handoffs and reminders, but too much and your pipeline becomes a black box.
What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
Matters:
- Stages that match your real process.
- Clear, shared definitions.
- The pipeline being actually used.
Doesn’t matter:
- Fancy charts and dashboards if the data is junk.
- Overthinking edge cases (“but what about that one deal last November?”).
- Matching what you saw in a sales blog post.
Keep It Simple, Test, and Tweak
You don’t get bonus points for complexity. Start with the bare minimum, see what works, and adjust as your team (and business) changes. The best sales pipelines are the ones your team actually uses—everything else is just window dressing.
If a stage doesn’t help you close deals faster, drop it. And if you’re not sure where to start, ask your team what gets in their way—and fix that first.