Building and Integrating Multiple Sales Pipelines

Every business has its own approach when it comes to closing deals, and for many companies, that means using different processes to reach a sale. That’s where multiple sales pipelines come in. 

Having more than one pipeline allows you to track each deal based on its specific journey, helping you manage and organize your sales efforts more effectively.

A well-structured sales pipeline on Pipedrive gives you and your team a clear understanding of where every deal stands. It’s a visual tool that helps you see which stage of the sales process each deal is in, pinpoint where things might be getting stuck, and recognize what actions are driving the most success. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps of setting up multiple sales pipelines and customizing them to fit your unique sales process.

What is a Sales Pipeline?

A sales pipeline is a visual representation of your sales process. It helps you track where each deal is, from the initial contact with a potential customer to the final stage of closing the sale.

This helps your sales team identify bottlenecks and spot opportunities to improve the sales funnel. 

A sales pipeline could be displayed as a horizontal bar, a vertical funnel, or a Kanban-style board. In fact, Pipedrive uses a Kanban-style board to show the progression of deals through various stages.

How to Create a New Pipeline in your Pipedrive?

Managing multiple sales pipelines doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right approach, it’s an easy way to streamline your sales process and ensure each deal is tracked effectively. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Go to pipeline view, where you’ll see a dropdown option for your pipelines.
2. From the dropdown menu, select the option labeled “+ New Pipeline.” This will immediately add a new pipeline to your account, which is ready for editing.

Note: There’s no limit to the number of pipelines you can add, so feel free to create as many as you need.

How to Edit and Customize Pipeline Stages?

Now that your pipeline is added, you can start editing its stages. Each stage represents a step in your sales process. Here’s how you can edit them:

1. Name Your Pipeline: Name your pipeline based on the type of deals or the stage in the sales process, such as “Demo Scheduled” or “Contract Review.”
2. Set Probability for Each Stage: For each stage of the pipeline, you can assign a probability. This is a numerical value that shows how likely it is for a deal to close at that stage.
3. Add Rotting Period (Optional): A rotting period is the number of days a deal can remain untouched before it’s flagged for attention. If a deal stays inactive beyond this period, the deal tile will turn red to alert you.

4. Save Changes: Once you’ve arranged the stages to match your sales flow, click “Save” to lock in the changes.
5. Add or Delete Stages: You can add a new stage by clicking the “+” button or remove one by selecting “Delete Stage” at the bottom of the screen.

Note: Only users with deal admin permissions can customize pipeline stages.

Tips on How to Create Stages for Your Company

Creating the right stages for your sales pipeline will ensure your sales process is organized. Also, leveraging sales engagement tools can further streamline this process by automating communication, tracking interactions, and providing insights into each stage of the pipeline. Here are some tips to help you design stages that match your company’s sales flow:

Use Clear, Action-Based Names

When naming your stages, use past indefinite tense to describe what has already been accomplished. For example, instead of “Meeting,” use “Meeting Agreed” to clearly show that a step has been completed.

Align Stages with the Customer’s Buying Journey

Think about the steps your customers go through before making a purchase. Each stage should reflect important milestones in their decision-making process.

Be Open to Adjustments

As you work through your sales pipeline, some stages might not feel quite right. Rename, remove, or add stages if they become unclear or aren’t serving their purpose well.

Focus on Key Milestones

Limit your stages to the most important steps. Having too many stages can overcomplicate things. Focus on key actions that move the deal closer to closing.

So how do you know if your sales process needs multiple pipelines? Let’s take a closer look at when and why multiple pipelines can be beneficial.

Purpose and Uses of Multiple Pipelines

There are several situations where having multiple pipelines can make a big difference:

• Different Product Lines: If your business offers a variety of products or services, each with its own sales process, having separate pipelines helps you track them efficiently.
• Varying Sales Cycles: Deals with different timelines, such as quick sales versus longer, more complex ones, can benefit from individual pipelines that reflect their unique stages.
• Targeting Multiple Customer Segments: If you sell to different types of customers, such as small businesses and large enterprises, separate pipelines let you manage each group with strategies tailored to their needs.
• Regional or International Sales: For businesses operating in multiple regions or countries, distinct pipelines can help manage the different sales approaches and requirements for each market.
• Product and Service Pipelines: If your business sells both products and services, you may have different sales processes for each. Services, for example, often require a longer pipeline due to more complex interactions.
• Custom Fields for Pipelines: You can add custom fields to deals within specific pipelines, allowing you to track relevant details based on the type of deal.

By using multiple pipelines, you can create a more organized, clear view of your sales process so that each deal is handled according to its specific needs.

When Not to Use Multiple Pipelines

Categorizing Deals by Location or Industry: If your sales stages are the same regardless of location or industry, it’s better to use custom fields rather than creating separate pipelines. 

Assigning Deals to a Salesperson: There’s no need to create separate pipelines for each salesperson. Pipedrive already tracks this automatically through the “owner” field.

Tracking Delivery of Sold Items: If you’re trying to track the delivery process after a deal is closed, using a tool like the “Projects” feature is better. Pipelines are focused on the sales process, so it’s not the best place to manage post-sale activities.

What Challenges Do Users Face When Managing Multiple Pipelines?

Managing multiple pipelines comes with its own set of challenges. Here are the common issues and how to address them effectively:

1. How Do You Handle Duplicate Deals Across Pipelines?

Recreating pipeline stages manually across pipelines can be time-consuming since many CRM tools like Pipedrive don’t allow stage duplication.

What can you do?

You can consider manually copying and pasting stage names to save some time.  Alternatively, more advanced users can leverage tools like Make (formerly Integromat) to create pipelines and stages in bulk using custom API calls. 

2. How Do You Use Another Pipeline After a Deal is “Won”?

One common challenge for users is what to do with deals that are marked as “Won” but need to be moved into a new pipeline for processes like customer onboarding or retention. Many users want to retain the deal history and utilize the automation features of the new pipeline but find limitations in Pipedrive’s structure.

What can you do?

You can use Pipedrive’s Workflow Automation feature to automatically move “Won” deals into a new pipeline, such as an “Onboarding” pipeline. 

However, by default, Pipedrive will only display Open deals. To fix this, you can create a filter for “Won” deals so they appear in the new pipeline. 

Alternatively, you can explore Pipedrive’s Projects feature, which is designed to help manage tasks after a deal is won, linking them to your sales pipeline.

Best Practices for Maintaining and Optimizing Your Sales Pipeline

Here are a few practices that will help you manage and improve your sales pipeline for long-term success:

• Review your pipeline stages regularly and make adjustments if needed to keep them relevant to your sales process.
• Ensure all deals are updated in real time so your team has accurate information on each deal’s progress.
• Define specific conditions for moving deals between stages to maintain a smooth and consistent workflow.
• Fix any recurring bottlenecks by refining stages or adjusting your process to improve deal flow.
• Use tools like Pipedrive to help manage your pipeline efficiently and keep your sales process on track.
• Monitor team performance by tracking how long deals stay in each stage and identifying where improvements can be made.
• Regularly communicate with your team to gather feedback on the pipeline and ensure it meets the needs of your sales process.

Conclusion

Multiple sales pipelines can significantly help manage diverse sales processes, especially when dealing with different products, customer segments, or regions. By organizing your deals through tailored pipelines, you can track each stage more effectively and ensure no opportunities are missed.

Remember, it’s important to regularly review and adjust your pipelines. With a well-maintained pipeline system and the right tools, like Pipedrive, you’ll be ready to close more deals and drive long-term success.
If you use WhatsApp as part of your sales process, TimelinesAI’s Pipedrive-WhatsApp integration can streamline your workflow even further. You can easily create new Persons, Deals, or Leads from WhatsApp contacts and sync them directly to the right pipeline. It also automatically tracks and organizes WhatsApp communication, keeping your sales data up to date. Check out the integration now!