If your sales process feels like a mess in your CRM, or your pipeline looks nothing like the way your team actually works, you're not alone. Spotio’s sales pipeline feature is decent, but out of the box, it’s generic. This guide is for sales managers, ops folks, or anyone who wants to actually get value—not busywork—from a custom sales pipeline in Spotio.
Let’s skip the fluff and get right into building a pipeline that matches how your team actually sells.
Step 1: Get Clear on Why You’re Customizing
Before you click anything, ask yourself: what’s the pain point?
- Are reps confused about what stage deals are in?
- Are you tracking too many (or too few) steps?
- Are you missing data you actually care about?
Don’t just “customize” for its own sake. Take five minutes and jot down what’s broken or missing. This will save you from making your pipeline more complicated than it needs to be.
Pro tip: Talk to a few reps about where deals get stuck or lost. The best pipeline stages reflect real bottlenecks, not wishful thinking from management.
Step 2: Access the Pipeline Settings
You’ll need admin access (or at least permission to edit pipelines) in Spotio. Here’s how to get where you need to be:
- Log in to Spotio.
- Click your profile or the gear/settings icon. (Spotio’s UI changes sometimes, but look for “Settings” or “Pipeline Settings.”)
- Find the “Pipelines” or “Stages” section in the left menu. If you don’t see it, you might not have permission—ask your admin.
You’ll see the default pipeline, and maybe some others if your team’s already been tinkering.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with settings labeled “legacy” or deals labeled “inactive”—those are for old workflows you probably don’t use.
Step 3: Map Out the Pipeline Stages
This is where most teams get tripped up. Spotio lets you add, remove, or rename stages, but that doesn’t mean you should have a million steps.
How to approach this:
- List your real-world steps. How does a deal move from lead to close?
- Aim for 5–7 stages. Most sales teams go overboard. More than 8, and nobody will keep it straight.
- Name them clearly. “Qualified,” “Demo Scheduled,” “Proposal Sent,” “Negotiating,” “Closed Won/Lost.” Simple beats clever.
- Make “Closed Won” and “Closed Lost” your final stages. This is standard for reporting. Don’t overthink it.
Pro tip: If you have multiple teams with very different processes (say, inside sales vs. field sales), consider separate pipelines, not one catch-all mess.
Step 4: Customize or Add Pipeline Stages in Spotio
Now, roll up your sleeves:
- In the Pipeline Settings, you’ll see a list of current stages.
- To add a stage: Click “Add Stage” or the plus (+) icon. Give it a name and (optionally) a color.
- To rename: Hover over a stage, click the pencil/edit icon, and type your new name.
- To reorder: Drag and drop stages to match your actual process.
- To delete: Click the trash/delete icon. Spotio will warn you if deals are in that stage—move them first if needed.
What works: Spotio’s drag-and-drop is intuitive. You can see changes right away, and it updates for the whole team.
What doesn’t: You can’t nest stages or create sub-steps. If your process is super granular, you’ll have to use custom fields (see next step).
Step 5: Add Custom Fields (If You Actually Need Them)
Stages answer “where is this deal?” Custom fields answer “what info do I need at each step?”
- Don’t go crazy here. Every extra field is a chore for reps.
- Only require fields that really matter for moving deals forward or reporting.
- Examples: “Decision Maker Identified,” “Estimated Close Date,” “Competitor,” “Deal Value.”
How to add custom fields:
- In settings, look for “Custom Fields” or “Deal Fields.”
- Click “Add Field.” Choose the type (text, dropdown, date, etc.).
- Assign it to deals, contacts, or accounts—whatever makes sense.
- Decide if it’s required (I’d only do this for absolutely necessary info).
Pro tip: Review your custom fields every few months. Delete what’s not used. If reps are skipping a field, it’s probably not helpful.
Step 6: Assign Pipelines to Teams or Users (Optional)
If you manage multiple teams with different sales processes, Spotio lets you set up more than one pipeline.
- Go to Pipelines in settings.
- Click “Add Pipeline.”
- Build out stages as before.
- Assign each pipeline to the right users or teams.
Honest take: Most small/medium teams don’t need multiple pipelines. It adds complexity and confusion. Only use this if your teams are truly selling in different ways.
Step 7: Test the Pipeline with a Real Deal
Don’t wait for a full rollout. Grab a test deal and walk it through the new pipeline:
- Create a test deal (use a fake company, or your own name).
- Move it from stage to stage.
- Fill out custom fields as you go.
- Check reporting—do the numbers make sense? Are deals missing any crucial info?
What works: You’ll spot missing stages or fields pretty quickly. Fix them before rolling out to everyone.
What doesn’t: Relying on theory. Real deals always reveal what’s broken.
Step 8: Roll It Out (and Actually Train People)
Once your pipeline is set, bring in the team:
- Show them the new stages and what each means.
- Explain any new required fields.
- Encourage feedback—if something feels off, adjust it early.
Pro tip: Don’t just send an email and call it done. Walk through a deal together in a short meeting. It’ll save hours of confusion later.
Step 9: Review and Tweak Regularly
No pipeline is perfect out of the gate. Every few months:
- Check reports for bottlenecks or weird drop-offs.
- Ask reps where deals get stuck or where the pipeline doesn’t match reality.
- Remove stages or fields that aren’t used.
- Add new ones only if there’s a clear need.
What to ignore: Fancy automation or “AI pipeline suggestions” unless you actually see value. Most of it is fluff.
Keeping It Simple Pays Off
Customizing your sales pipeline in Spotio isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to make it a mess. Focus on the real process your team follows, and don’t let the tool dictate your workflow. Start simple, roll it out, and keep tweaking as you go. The best pipeline is one your team actually uses—and that gives you clarity where you need it most.