A stage should describe what has actually happened. Every active opportunity needs one owner and one dated next action.
Which stages should I use?
A practical early pipeline can use researching, ready for review, outreach planned, contacted, replied, qualified, and closed or disqualified. Define the evidence required to move into each stage so the dashboard reflects reality rather than optimism.
What counts as a next action?
A next action is a specific task with an owner and date: review contact evidence, draft the first approach, reply to a question, schedule a call, send agreed information, or close the record. Follow up is too vague unless it states what will happen and when.
Assign one owner.
Choose the current stage from observed events.
Write one concrete next action.
Set a date.
Update, recycle, or close overdue records during the weekly review.
How do I keep the pipeline clean?
Use aging views to find active records without a next action, contacted prospects with no follow-up decision, and opportunities that no longer meet the qualification criteria. Preserve useful context when recycling a prospect, but re-check the person and contact data before future outreach.