So you’ve signed up for Icypeas, poked around the menus, and realized you need a sales pipeline. But most guides are either too high-level or assume you already know all the lingo. Here’s the straightforward, step-by-step playbook for actually getting your first pipeline up and running—without the fluff. Whether you’re a founder, a solo salesperson, or just the one who drew the short straw, you’ll get a working pipeline set up in about an hour.
Step 1: Figure Out What Your Sales Pipeline Should Look Like
Before you even log into Icypeas, stop and sketch out what your sales process actually looks like. Don’t worry about making it perfect—just get your main steps down.
Ask yourself: - Where do your leads come from? - What are the main stages before someone becomes a customer? - Where do deals usually get stuck?
A typical first pipeline might look like: - New Lead - Contacted - Demo Scheduled - Proposal Sent - Negotiation - Won / Lost
Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. Start with fewer stages—you can always add more later. Most beginners make the pipeline too complicated.
Step 2: Sign In and Head to Pipelines
Log into your Icypeas dashboard. The navigation might look a bit busy at first, but all you need is the “Pipelines” or “Sales” tab—this is where your pipeline will live.
- Can’t find it? Look for a menu labeled “Deals” or “Sales Pipeline.” If it’s buried, try the sidebar or use the search bar.
- First time here? You’ll probably see a blank state with a button like “Create Pipeline.” Click that.
Step 3: Create Your First Pipeline
You’ll be prompted to give your pipeline a name. Just call it “Sales Pipeline” or something obvious. Fancy names don’t help close deals.
Fill in the basics: - Pipeline Name: “Sales Pipeline” is fine. - Description: Optional, but can be handy if your team grows later.
Click “Create” or “Save” to move on.
Step 4: Set Up Your Stages
Now add the stages you sketched out in Step 1. Icypeas will usually give you a few generic stages by default, but you can delete or rename them.
How to add or edit stages: - Click “Add Stage” or the pencil/edit icon next to a stage name. - Type in your stage names: - New Lead - Contacted - Demo Scheduled - Proposal Sent - Negotiation - Won / Lost
Tips: - Keep it simple. If you’re not sure you need a stage, skip it for now. - Make “Won” and “Lost” the last two stages. This keeps your pipeline clear. - Order matters. Drag and drop to rearrange—put the stages in the order deals actually move.
Step 5: Add Custom Fields (Optional, But Useful)
Most CRMs (including Icypeas) let you add extra fields to track things like deal value, close date, or lead source.
Should you bother now? - Yes, if: You know you’ll need to report on things like “How much is in the pipeline?” or “Where do our leads come from?” - No, if: You’re just trying to get started and don’t want to overcomplicate.
Common fields to consider: - Deal Value - Expected Close Date - Lead Source - Assigned To (if there’s more than one of you)
To add a field, look for “Customize Fields” or “Add Field” in the pipeline or deal settings.
Don’t get lost here. Too many custom fields is a trap. You can always add more later.
Step 6: Add Your Existing Leads or Deals
Time to populate the pipeline. If you’ve got a list of leads in a spreadsheet, you can usually import them. If not, just add a few by hand to get the hang of it.
To import: - Look for an “Import” button—usually at the top or in the settings. - Icypeas can typically handle CSV files. Make sure your columns match up (name, email, company, etc.). - Map your spreadsheet columns to the right fields in Icypeas. - Run the import. If you get errors, it’s usually because of weird formatting or missing required fields.
To add leads manually: - Click “Add Deal” or “New Lead.” - Fill in the details. Don’t worry about perfection—just get them into the system.
What to skip: - Don’t waste time entering every tiny detail. Focus on the info you actually use.
Step 7: Test the Pipeline With a Fake Deal
Before you roll this out to a team (or even trust it yourself), run a test deal through all the stages.
What to do: - Add a fake deal called “Test Company.” - Move it through each stage, using drag-and-drop if possible. - Update fields like “Deal Value” and “Expected Close Date.” - Mark it as “Won” and then try marking one as “Lost.”
Why bother? - This helps you spot anything confusing or broken. - You’ll see if you forgot a step or made the stages too vague.
Step 8: Set Up Basic Notifications (If You Want)
Icypeas can send notifications when a deal moves stages, is assigned, or goes stale. These can be useful—or just noise.
Worth turning on: - Notifications for when a deal is assigned to you (if you’re not solo). - Alerts for deals stuck in one stage too long.
Skip for now: - Notifications for every single change. That gets old fast.
Check under “Settings” or “Notifications”—toggle the basics on, and ignore the rest unless you really need them.
Step 9: Share With Your Team (Or Future Self)
If you’re flying solo, skip this. But if there’s anyone else involved (even part-time), invite them.
- Look for “Invite User” or “Add Team Member.”
- Assign them to deals or stages as needed.
- Give them a two-minute tour—don’t just drop a link and hope for the best.
Pro tip: Set expectations. “Move deals to the next stage as soon as something happens” is a good rule of thumb.
Step 10: Actually Use It—And Ignore the Fancy Stuff (For Now)
At this point, you have a working pipeline. That’s enough for most small teams or folks just getting started.
Don’t get distracted by: - Automation, integrations, or custom reports—until you’re actually using the basics daily. - Over-customizing. The more you tweak, the more likely you are to break things or confuse people.
Just focus on moving real deals through the stages. That’s where the value is.
Step 11: Review and Adjust After a Few Weeks
After you’ve used the pipeline for a bit, take a step back and see what’s working.
Questions to ask: - Are there stages nobody uses? - Is information missing that you need for follow-ups or reports? - Are deals getting stuck somewhere?
Change what isn’t working. Don’t be precious about it—it’s your tool, not a museum piece.
The Bottom Line
Setting up your first sales pipeline in Icypeas isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get bogged down in details that don’t matter. Start simple. Build only what you need. Actually use it. Then, tweak and improve as you go. Sales tools are supposed to help you close deals—not eat up your whole week.
You’ll get more out of Icypeas (or any CRM) by keeping it lean and adapting it to how you actually work, not what the software vendor thinks is “best practice.” Good luck—and don’t be afraid to delete a stage or field if it’s just getting in your way.