Design CRM stages that match real sales and delivery work.

A stage is an operating agreement

Names such as New, Qualified, and Won are not enough by themselves. For every stage, define what must be true before entry, who owns the record, what happens next, and which exceptions need review.

Keep lifecycle facts separate

• Sales stage: where the opportunity is in the commercial conversation.
• Payment status: whether money is expected, authorised, captured, refunded, or disputed.
• Delivery status: whether fulfilment has started, stalled, completed, or needs intervention.
• Communication eligibility: whether and how the person may be contacted.

Test the stage model

1. 01

   Use recent records

   Classify real enquiries, including duplicates and stalled cases.

2. 02

   Ask two operators

   Check whether both people choose the same stage from the written definition.

3. 03

   Inspect transitions

   Confirm that every stage has a valid next action and an accountable owner.

4. 04

   Review reporting

   Verify that stage counts answer a business question rather than merely describe activity.

Avoid false automation

Automate a stage change only when the triggering fact is dependable. Where judgement or consent matters, create a task for a person instead of silently changing customer status.