If you’re managing sales, you know tracking deals and actually forecasting revenue aren’t the same thing. Fancy dashboards and endless fields don’t matter if you can’t trust what’s in the pipeline. This guide is for sales managers, founders, and anyone who wants to get real about using Sheppardd to keep deals moving—and actually predict what’s coming in.
We’ll go step by step, from setting up your pipeline to avoiding the most common forecasting mistakes. If you want buzzwords and fluff, this isn’t your guide. If you want stuff that works, keep reading.
Step 1: Get Your Pipeline Set Up (Don’t Overthink It)
Sheppardd wants to help you track deals, but it’s up to you to set up your pipeline stages. Here’s what’s worth doing:
- Map your real sales process. Don’t just use the default stages. If "Quote Sent" and "Legal Review" are always separate steps, make them separate stages.
- Keep it simple. Four to six stages is usually enough. More stages = more admin, not more insight.
- Name stages clearly. “Demo Completed” is better than “Mid-Funnel.” Everyone should know what each stage means—no guessing.
Pro tip: Don’t create a “Stuck” or “Dead” stage. Just close-lost deals that aren’t moving. Cluttered pipelines will wreck your forecast.
Step 2: Add Deals (The Right Way)
You can import deals, add them manually, or (if you’re lucky) sync from your email or website. Here’s what to focus on:
- Critical fields only. Deal name, value, close date, stage. That’s it. Don’t force reps to fill out 15 fields—they’ll make stuff up or skip it.
- Owner matters. Make sure every deal has a clear owner. “Shared” deals get ignored.
- Be real about value. Enter the deal’s actual expected value—not the biggest possible number.
What to skip: Custom fields like “Deal Type” or “Marketing Source” sound nice but rarely help you forecast. Start simple, add them later if you have a solid reason.
Step 3: Move Deals Through the Pipeline
Now the real work starts. Tracking progress means deals have to move—or close.
- Update stages weekly. If a deal hasn’t moved in two weeks, ask why. Sheppardd’s pipeline view makes it easy to spot stuck deals, but only if you keep it current.
- Use notes for context. Always jot down the last action or next step. Future-you (and your manager) will thank you.
- Close lost deals fast. Don’t let “maybe someday” deals clog up your pipeline. If it’s dead, mark it closed-lost and move on.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure whether to move a deal forward, err on the side of honesty. Over-optimism is the #1 cause of bad forecasts.
Step 4: Set Up Forecasting (And Make It Useful)
Here’s where lots of CRMs go off the rails. Fancy forecasting features are only as good as your data. Here’s what works in Sheppardd:
- Probability by stage. Assign a win probability to each stage (e.g., “Proposal Sent” = 40%). Don’t get too granular—just ballpark it based on your real results.
- Expected revenue. Sheppardd can multiply deal value by stage probability to give you a weighted forecast. This is much more realistic than just adding up all open deals.
- Set close dates carefully. These drive your forecast, so use the best info you have. If you’re always guessing, your forecast will be a joke.
What not to do: Don’t change probabilities every month chasing “accuracy.” Trends matter more than perfection.
Step 5: Review and Adjust Your Pipeline Regularly
A pipeline is a living thing. If you set it and forget it, your forecast will drift into fantasy land.
- Hold a weekly pipeline review. 15–30 minutes, tops. Look for stuck deals, slippage on close dates, and deals that should be closed out.
- Look at the numbers, but also the story. A deal stuck in “Negotiation” for two months is probably lost.
- Adjust probabilities or stages only if the process really changes. Don’t tinker for the sake of tinkering.
Pro tip: Don’t use the pipeline review as a blame session. Focus on what’s real, not who’s “hustling” hardest.
Step 6: Use Reports, But Don’t Drown in Them
Sheppardd’s reporting is only as good as your inputs. Here’s what’s worth paying attention to:
- Weighted forecast. This is your best guess at what will actually close, based on probabilities.
- Deal velocity. How long do deals spend in each stage? If things are slow, look for bottlenecks.
- Closed-won vs. closed-lost. Don’t just celebrate the wins—look at why you lost deals and if the same issues keep cropping up.
What to ignore: Pie charts breaking down “source” or “industry” are fun for board slides, but rarely actionable unless you sell at huge scale.
Step 7: Avoid the Most Common Mistakes
Even with the best CRM, people make the same mistakes over and over. Here’s how to dodge them:
- Wishful thinking on close dates. Don’t keep pushing close dates out forever. If a deal keeps slipping, get real about whether it’s still alive.
- Overloading on data. More fields and tags sound useful, but they just slow you down and reduce accuracy.
- Confusing activity with progress. Lots of calls and meetings don’t matter if deals aren’t moving forward.
- Letting the pipeline get stale. If you only clean up at the end of the quarter, your forecast will always be off.
Pro tip: Review lost deals once a quarter. Look for patterns—bad fit, price, timing—and use that to ask better questions up front.
Step 8: Iterate, Don’t Overhaul
You won’t get it perfect the first time. That’s normal.
- Start with simple stages and fields.
- Add complexity only if you really need it.
- Check in monthly to see what’s working (and what’s just noise).
Sheppardd is a tool, not a strategy. The point is to make decisions—not just “track” things for the sake of it. If something in your process isn’t helping you close more deals or forecast more accurately, cut it.
Keep It Simple. Make It Honest. Iterate.
Tracking deals and forecasting revenue in Sheppardd isn’t rocket science, but it does take discipline. Don’t let bells and whistles distract you from the basics: honest data, clear steps, and regular review. Start simple, tweak as you go, and never, ever trust a pipeline full of “maybe next month” deals.
Now get in there and make your CRM work for you—not the other way around.