How do I set up my first deal pipeline?

How do I set up my first sales pipeline?

Your deal pipeline is the foundation of your sales process in HubSpot. Before creating your pipeline, it's important to understand when you need multiple pipelines: only create separate pipelines when you have fundamentally different sales processes (like one for enterprise deals and another for partner relationships). For most businesses, a single well-structured sales pipeline is more effective than multiple specialised ones.

Understanding Pipeline Basics

Your deal pipeline represents the stages a deal goes through from initial contact to closing. Each stage should have:

• Clear entry and exit criteria.
• Specific actions sales reps need to take.
• Typical timeframes for deals to remain in that stage.

Step-by-Step Pipeline Setup

1. Navigate to Settings > Objects > Deals > Pipelines
2. Click "Create Pipeline" (or use the default pipeline)
3. Name your pipeline (e.g., "Standard Sales Process")
4. Add your deal stages in order. We recommend starting with:
   • Qualification
   • Discovery Call Scheduled
   • Solution Presentation
   • Proposal Sent
   • Negotiation
   • Closed Won/Lost

Customising Your Pipeline

While the stages above are a good starting point, consider:

• What unique steps does your sales process require?
• When do key stakeholders typically get involved?
• What are your critical decision points?

Best Practices

• Keep it simple: Start with fewer stages and add more only if necessary
• Use clear stage names that your whole team understands
• Set probability percentages for each stage to improve forecasting
• Define stage requirements clearly to ensure consistent usage across your team

Pro Tips for Success

• Use deal properties to track key information at each stage
• Set up automation to move deals between stages based on activities
• Create tasks for required actions in each stage
• Use the deal board view to get a visual overview of your pipeline

Need More Help?

Contact your HubSpot representative for personalised guidance on optimising your sales pipeline for your specific business needs.