The Proposal | QGate
A sales pipeline becomes much less useful when opportunities are moved forward based on enthusiasm rather than actual progress.
Someone filling in a contact form might be a promising start, but there is still quite a lot to learn before a proposal makes sense.
Clear stages and agreed criteria give salespeople a better idea of what needs to happen next and give managers a more reliable view of how deals are progressing.
Although, occasionally, the next step really is just a meeting.