If you've been in business for any length of time, you've heard talk of CRMs and Sales Pipelines. But I've found that a lot of my clients don't really know how to use a Pipeline effectively, or what the actual purpose of one is, nevermind understanding how to automate it inside your CRM.
So today I'm going to give a quick overview of what a Pipeline is, why you'll want to use one in your service provider business, and even share the stages in a sales pipeline template.
What is a CRM?
Before we jump into the nitty gritty of a Pipeline, let's clarify what a CRM is: a Client Relationship Management tool. It's a tool that helps you manage the relationship with your clients. Logistically speaking, a CRM is a place you track, communicate with, and keep notes on leads and clients for your business.
In the most simple format, a CRM could be a spreadsheet that lists all your leads, their contact information, the last time you communicated with them, and whether or not they've purchased from you yet.
If you want to get fancy, a CRM can have additional features that allow you to automate parts of your sales process, including moving your leads and clients along your pipeline based on different actions they take (ie, filling out a form, signing a contract, or paying an invoice).
In my opinion, the best CRMs include the following features that make running your business a whole lot easier!
Lead Collection, usually through a Contact Form of some kind
Contact Information
Notes Feature
Pipeline
Scheduler
Automations
Email or Communication method
*BONUS if it also includes invoicing and payments!
What is a Client Sales Pipeline?
A client sales pipeline is a place for you to track leads and clients and easily see what they need next. Think of it almost like a kanban board (Trello uses Kanban, if you're familiar with that tool!) - you place your leads in the bucket that most clearly identifies what their last action was, and what action they need next.
You can think of a Pipeline almost like a Sales map:
the first stage should be where the Lead is when they first reach out to you
each step along the way is like a mile marker or a milestone, identifying how much closer they are to their end destination (booking with you!)
the last stage is when they have reached your desired end destination
To help identify the stages of your pipeline, think about your entire client journey, the actions your leads are taking, and the actions you need to take to move them from one stage to the next.
It may be helpful to map out your client journey and star the spots where a crucial action is taken, by either you or the client, that helps move them closer to purchasing from you.
If you don't already have your client journey mapped out, you can check out my FREE Client Booking & Onboarding Map here!
Quick side note: A Sales Pipeline is NOT the same as a Sales Funnel. A funnel is a marketing strategy that usually includes things like messaging, ads, a landing page, a checkout page, an order bump, etc.
You can think of a Sales funnel as the EXTERNAL sales process, while a Sales Pipeline is your INTERNAL tracking system!
Creating the Stages of a Pipeline
You may think the only stages in your pipeline are "lead" or "client". But remember that the stages of your pipeline should reflect the actions your leads take, so you know exactly what you need to do to help move them closer to purchasing from you.
In this way, your Pipeline should be linear and chronological.
Another tip from I learned from my Sales coach was that you should have one pipeline for each desired end result or service.
So for example, you wouldn't track your VA candidates (hiring) on the same pipeline you would your potential clients (sales).
Here's a Simple Sales Pipeline Template I often use when setting up Pipelines for clients:
Remember, especially if you are manually managing your Pipeline, there should be a set task or group of tasks you complete for the people in each stage.
Using the example above, here are some steps you would perform at each stage.
INQUIRY - Send a follow-up email and invite them to book a discovery call
CALL BOOKED - Prepare for the call by doing research on the client; show up for the call; take notes; customize proposal and send to the Lead
PROPOSAL SENT - Follow up if Lead hasn't acted on Proposal within a set number of days
DEPOSIT PAID - Send Welcome Email with Onboarding instructions and invite to book first Onboarding call
ON RETAINER - Manage the client's projects, schedule regular check-in calls, send reports, etc.
OFFBOARDING - Finalize terms of contract, Deliver completed project, Ask for Feedback, Reviews, or Referrals
As you can see, identifying which tasks need to happen in each stage can ensure every single client gets an excellent and consistent client experience!!
Automating your Pipeline in Honeybook (+ Coupon Code)
Maintaining an accurate pipeline is important to your sales because it keeps you from dropping the ball on potential clients (ie additional revenue!) - but it can be a lot of work when you're doing everything manually.
This is why I LOVE the automations in Honeybook. It will automatically move leads / clients to a different stage of my pipeline depending upon the actions they take.
Here's the exact Sales Pipeline I use with my clients, and the actions they take that move them along to the next stage.
A lead or client lands in each stage of the pipeline based on their actions, as follows:
INQUIRY - a lead lands here after they've filled out my Contact Form.
CALL BOOKED - a lead lands here after (you guessed it) they've used my scheduling link to book a Free Consult.
FOLLOW UP - I use this as a manual stage when I'm following up with various people who aren't necessarily ready to work with me yet.
PROPOSAL SENT - this is also pretty self-explanatory! Once we're on a Free Consult and I have a better idea of which services the potential client would benefit most from, I'll send a Proposal, and they are automatically moved to this stage in the pipeline.
PAID: PROJECT - this stage is for Project-based clients. They land here as soon as they make their first payment.
PAID | ACTIVE - this stage is for retainer clients, for whom I provide ongoing support
OFFBOARDING - clients land here after their project or contract is complete. The reason this has its own stage is because I do take action here before officially completing their project: I send a request for feedback/reviews and also sometimes, a referral request or invitation to work with me in a different capacity.
COMPLETED - Once I've reviewed their feedback and tied up any loose ends, I'll move them to the COMPLETED stage.
How I automate my Client Pipeline
I use Honeybook not only for my Pipeline, but for all Client Management. If you feel like setting up your Pipeline would be overwhelming, Honeybook makes it super easy with a plug-and-play Pipeline WITH automations already set up.
If you'd like to try it out, there is a 7-day free trial, and then you can use my affiliate link to get 50% off your first year's subscription. (Thanks for supporting my business and my family!)
How to Build a Pipeline for Better Sales
If you haven't used a Pipeline before, or even if you have but you know you're not doing it effectively, list the stages of your client journey and what actions need to happen in each, like I shared above. This is helpful for you to have a cheat sheet or checklist so you don't forget anything - but having it documented in a Google doc or on an SOP will also help if you ever want to delegate communicating with leads or clients to a team member.
Then I recommend scheduling time to check in on your Pipeline, whether that be 15 minutes each morning, or 30-60 minutes once a week. This will ensure you are consistently following up with leads and not leaving any money on the table! It also provides an excellent client experience, letting your potential clients know that if they work with you, you are organized and attentive. Begin as you intend to go on!
During your scheduling time, open your pipeline alongside the list of tasks you need to perform at each stage. Then simply do those tasks for each person in each stage of the pipeline.
Recap: Creating & Automating your Client Sales Pipeline
Here's the TL;DR:
Map your Client Journey
Identify the Stages in your Pipeline
Document a list of task(s) that you need to do for people in each stage
Decide which system you'll use for your Pipeline
Schedule time to regularly check in on your Pipeline
If you need help with any of this, please reach out! I'd be happy to assist you with a consulting call. operational support, or a full Honeybook setup!
Comments