A sales pipeline is a visual view of every open deal arranged by stage, typically from New Lead → Contacted → Qualified → Proposal → Negotiation → Won/Lost. It shows where each opportunity stands, what it's worth and what needs to happen next.
Why it matters
- Clarity: everyone sees the same picture of sales
- Forecasting: the sum of open deal values, weighted by stage, predicts revenue
- Bottlenecks: conversion rates between stages show where deals die
- Accountability: every deal has an owner and a next action
Pipeline vs funnel
A funnel describes how prospects narrow down (many leads, fewer customers). A pipeline is the working list of specific deals your team is moving forward.
Healthy pipeline habits
- 5–7 stages with clear exit criteria
- A dated next action on every open deal
- Lost reasons recorded for every lost deal
- A weekly pipeline review
Example
A B2B agency notices many deals stall at "Proposal Sent". It adds a proposal-review call within 48 hours, and conversion from proposal to negotiation improves.
Related terms
CRM · Lead scoring · Lead generation
Guide: sales pipeline stages template.
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