If you’re tired of your CRM pipeline not matching how your team actually sells, you’re not alone. Out-of-the-box opportunity stages look tidy, but real deals never move that neatly. This guide is for sales ops folks, admins, and anyone who wants to make their Akoonu pipeline reflect reality—not wishful thinking.
We’ll walk through, step by step, how to customize opportunity stages in Akoonu so you can stop wrestling with “one size fits none” pipelines and start tracking what matters. No fluff, no wild promises—just clear, practical advice.
Why Bother Customizing Opportunity Stages?
Default stages are made to please everyone—and end up helping no one. If your team skips steps, invents their own, or ignores your stages entirely, that’s a sign things need fixing. Customizing stages means:
- Less confusion: Reps know exactly where deals stand.
- Cleaner data: Forecasts make sense, because deals are in the right buckets.
- Quicker ramp time: New hires don’t need a decoder ring for your pipeline.
If you’re new to Akoonu, know that its flexibility is actually useful—but only if you take the time to set it up your way.
Step 1: Map Your Real-World Sales Process
Before you even log into Akoonu, grab a whiteboard or a spreadsheet. Talk to your sales reps. Find out:
- What steps do deals actually go through?
- Where do deals get stuck?
- Are there stages nobody uses, or ones they wish they had?
- What “exit criteria” (i.e., what has to be true before moving on) make sense for each stage?
Pro tip: Don’t just copy the old process. If it didn’t work in your last CRM, it won’t magically work here.
When you’re done, you should have a simple list—maybe five to eight stages—that make sense for your deals. Don’t overcomplicate it. You can always tweak later.
Step 2: Get Your Akoonu Admin Access Ready
You’ll need admin rights in Akoonu to make these changes. If you’re not an admin, now’s the time to bug your admin or get permissions sorted out.
Note: Akoonu’s permissions are pretty granular. If you’re blocked at any point, check that your profile allows editing pipeline settings.
Step 3: Find the Opportunity Stages Settings
- Log into Akoonu.
- From the main dashboard, click on the gear icon or “Settings” menu (placement can vary based on your org’s setup).
- Look for something like “Pipelines,” “Sales Process,” or “Opportunity Stages.” It’s usually under a section for Opportunity or Deal Management.
- Select the pipeline you want to customize. If you have multiple pipelines, make sure you’re editing the right one.
If you can’t find it, use the search bar in Akoonu’s settings or check their help docs—labeling can be inconsistent depending on your version.
Step 4: Review and Edit Existing Stages
You’ll see a list of current stages. Here’s what to do:
- Delete any stages nobody uses. Don’t be afraid to cut. Extra stages just create confusion.
- Rename stages to match your process. If “Proposal” is really “Contract Sent,” say so.
- Reorder stages by how deals actually flow. Drag and drop if possible.
- Check for duplicates or vague names. “Negotiation” and “Review” might mean the same thing—pick one.
Honest take: Don’t be precious about what’s there now. Most default stages are generic and not worth keeping unless they fit your team.
Step 5: Add New Stages (If Needed)
If your mapping from Step 1 surfaced missing steps, add them here.
- Click “Add Stage” (or whatever your version calls it).
- Give it a clear, unambiguous name. E.g., “Demo Scheduled” beats “In Progress.”
- Optionally, add a stage description—this helps new reps know exactly what goes where.
Rule of thumb: Fewer stages are better than more. Only add a stage if it’s truly a distinct, trackable phase.
Step 6: Define Exit Criteria for Each Stage
Here’s where a lot of pipelines go off the rails: if nobody knows when to move a deal forward, you end up with deals stuck forever or deals hopping stages at random.
- For each stage, jot down what must be true before moving to the next one.
- Example: “Qualified” means budget, authority, need, and timeline are confirmed.
- “Proposal Sent” means the customer has seen a formal quote.
- You can usually add these criteria to the stage description or as guidance notes in Akoonu.
Why bother? It makes handoffs between reps, managers, and teams cleaner. It also makes your data more trustworthy.
Step 7: Adjust Probability and Forecast Settings
Most CRMs—including Akoonu—tie opportunity stage to close probability for forecasting. Here’s what to check:
- Each stage should have a probability that reflects reality, not hope.
- Don’t set everything above “50%” just to feel good about your pipeline. Be honest.
- Example mapping:
- “Qualification”: 10%
- “Discovery”: 25%
- “Proposal Sent”: 50%
- “Contract Out”: 75%
- “Closed Won”: 100%
You can adjust these later if your win rates improve (or tank).
Step 8: Save and Test Your Changes
Don’t just hit “Save” and walk away. Test it:
- Create a dummy opportunity and walk it through each stage.
- Make sure the right fields are required at the right time.
- Check for any automation rules or alerts that break because of your changes.
- Ask a rep or two to try it and give honest feedback.
If anything feels clunky or forced, fix it now. Better to tweak before rolling out to everyone.
Step 9: Communicate Changes to the Team
This is where most customizations fall flat: nobody tells the team, or they just send a dry email. Take five minutes to actually explain:
- Why you changed the stages.
- What each stage means.
- What’s expected for moving deals forward.
If you can show this in a quick screen share or a Loom video, even better. Make it easy for reps to ask questions or give feedback.
Step 10: Iterate (Yes, Really)
You’re not done after one pass. Give it a month or so, then:
- Check if deals are getting stuck.
- Ask reps if the stages make sense.
- Look at your reports—do they tell a clearer story now?
Don’t be afraid to tweak names, add a stage, or remove one that nobody uses. The best pipelines evolve with your sales process.
What Actually Matters (And What to Ignore)
A few things to keep in mind:
- Don’t obsess over perfecting names. Clarity beats cleverness.
- Too many stages will slow down your team. Each one should have a real purpose.
- Custom fields are great—until they aren’t. Add only what you’ll actually use.
- Ignore fancy automation at first. If your basics aren’t right, automation just creates more mess.
Akoonu’s flexibility is a double-edged sword: it’ll let you build a monster if you’re not careful. Resist the temptation.
Keep It Simple, See What Works
Customizing opportunity stages in Akoonu isn’t rocket science, but it does take some real thought. Keep your pipeline simple and honest, and don’t be afraid to tweak as you go. Most of the time, less is more. Get the basics right, and you’ll spend less time cleaning up your CRM—and more time closing deals.