# Pipeline template

> A simple pipeline for an expert firm with no CRM.

- **For:** Expert firms with no CRM
- **Outcome:** Every open opportunity with an owner, a next step and a date
- **Time:** A few minutes each morning

## Why it helps

A pipeline is only useful if everyone agrees what each stage means, and nothing sits in it without a next step. Keep enquiries in their own list. Most never become real work, and they shouldn't clutter the pipeline. An enquiry becomes an opportunity when you decide it is worth a conversation.

## The two sheets

**Enquiries.** One row for each person who asks about work: when, who, how they got in touch, what they asked, who owns it, when you first replied, and its status.

**Opportunities.** One row for each piece of work you are going after: its owner, stage, next step and date, value, and outcome. A column flags any next step that is overdue or missing.

Stage, status, outcome and the reason for a loss each have a drop-down list, so everyone uses the same words.

## The five stages

| Stage   | It means                                                            | Move on when                                            |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Qualify | Worth a conversation. You are finding out if there is real work     | You have held the first call and decided to go after it |
| Scope   | Agreeing the problem, the outcome, the budget range and who decides | The client agrees to get a proposal on a set date       |
| Propose | Writing the proposal                                                | You send it                                             |
| Decide  | The client has the proposal, and your follow-ups run                | They say yes or no, or you close the file               |
| Closed  | Won, lost, no decision, or withdrawn                                | Never. New work is a new opportunity                    |

## How to use it

1. Open the file and add your open enquiries and opportunities.
2. Write each next step as a verb and an object, such as "Send call summary". Give it a date.
3. Each morning, sort by the next step's date and do what is due.
4. Each week, go through every opportunity in your weekly review.

## Using it

You may use, change and share it inside your own firm. Please don't sell it or publish it as your own.

Source: https://inspiredworkx.com/library/template/pipeline