How to Create Sales Stages for a Business in Singapore

To create sales stages for your Singapore business, start by mapping out the typical journey your prospects take from initial contact to closing a sale. Define clear, sequential stages that represent meaningful progress points in your sales process. Each stage should have specific criteria and actions so your sales team knows what to do and when.

Why this comes up / what goes wrong

Many small business owners in Singapore struggle with managing their sales because they run their sales activities across WhatsApp, email, and spreadsheets. Without clear sales stages, leads get forgotten or followed up inconsistently, causing lost revenue. Sales teams may not know when to move a lead forward or how to prioritise follow-ups. Creating defined sales stages helps organise the sales process, improves follow-up speed, and increases conversion rates.

Step-by-step

1. Identify your sales process milestones. List the key steps your leads typically go through, such as initial contact, needs assessment, quotation, negotiation, and closing.
2. Name each sales stage clearly. Use simple, descriptive names like “Lead Captured,” “Contacted,” “Quote Sent,” “Negotiation,” and “Closed Won” or “Closed Lost.”
3. Define criteria for each stage. Specify what must happen for a lead to move to the next stage, e.g., a quotation sent or a meeting held.
4. Assign expected actions and follow-up tasks. For each stage, note what the sales team should do next, such as sending a follow-up message or scheduling a call.
5. Set realistic timeframes. Estimate how long leads typically stay in each stage to identify bottlenecks.
6. Test the stages with your team. Get feedback and adjust the stages to fit your actual sales flow.
7. Implement sales stages in your CRM or tracking tool. This helps automate reminders and makes it easy to track progress.

Check that your stages cover all possible outcomes, including lost deals, to keep your pipeline accurate.

Example (fictional figures)

A property agency in Novena uses these sales stages:

• Lead Captured
• Contacted
• Site Visit Scheduled
• Quotation Sent
• Negotiation
• Closed Won
• Closed Lost

On 01/06/2024, the agency captured a lead interested in a commercial unit worth S$1,200,000.

Step 1: Lead Captured (01/06/2024) Step 2: Contacted (02/06/2024) Step 3: Site Visit Scheduled (05/06/2024) Step 4: Quotation Sent (10/06/2024)

Quotation amount: S$1,200,000

Step 5: Negotiation (15/06/2024) Discount offered: 2% of S$1,200,000 Calculation: S$1,200,000 × 2% = S$24,000

Step 6: Closed Won (20/06/2024) Final sale value: S$1,200,000 - S$24,000 = S$1,176,000

This clear stage progression helps the agency track each lead’s status and follow up effectively.

Common mistakes

• Too many stages: Avoid overly detailed stages that slow down the process. Keep it simple to maintain clarity.
• Vague criteria: Define clear, measurable conditions for moving leads between stages to avoid confusion.
• Ignoring lost deals: Always include a “Closed Lost” stage to keep your pipeline realistic.
• No follow-up tasks: Assign specific actions for each stage to ensure timely follow-up.
• Not reviewing stages regularly: Update stages based on sales team feedback and changing business needs.
• Using inconsistent tools: Running sales across WhatsApp, email, and spreadsheets without integration causes lost leads and delays. Consider a CRM with WhatsApp and SMS capabilities to centralise communication and tracking, such as HelloGrowthCRM’s WhatsApp and SMS CRM.

Doing this in HelloGrowthCRM

HelloGrowthCRM offers a Deals (pipeline) feature that helps you track open opportunities from first contact through to close. Each deal moves through your defined sales stages, such as “Quote Sent” with a follow-up date, so no lead is forgotten. For founders without a sales manager, HelloGrowthCRM’s Managed RevOps service assigns a revenue specialist who works the follow-up queue weekly, ensuring timely action. Additionally, if your business has field sales reps, the Territories, field operations and commissions feature lets reps log visits from their phones while managers monitor daily activity. Learn more about HelloGrowthCRM for Singapore at hellogrowthcrm.com/singapore.

Frequently asked questions

How many sales stages should a small business in Singapore have? A typical small business should have between 5 to 7 sales stages to keep the process manageable and clear. This includes stages from lead capture to closing, plus a lost deal stage.

Can I customise sales stages in a CRM? Yes, most CRMs, including HelloGrowthCRM, allow you to customise sales stages to match your unique sales process, making pipeline tracking more accurate.

What if my sales process is mostly on WhatsApp? Using a CRM with WhatsApp integration helps centralise conversations and sales tracking. HelloGrowthCRM’s WhatsApp and SMS CRM lets you manage leads and deals without switching apps.

How do I measure if my sales stages are effective? Track the average time leads spend in each stage and conversion rates between stages. If leads stall too long, review and adjust your process.

Is it necessary to have a “Closed Lost” stage? Yes, it helps keep your sales pipeline realistic and allows you to analyse why deals fail, improving future sales strategies.

How can I ensure my team uses the sales stages consistently? Provide training and clear documentation. Using a CRM with pipeline features and follow-up reminders, like HelloGrowthCRM’s Deals (pipeline), encourages consistent use.

Key takeaways

• Define clear, sequential sales stages reflecting your customer journey.
• Set specific criteria and follow-up actions for each stage.
• Keep stages simple and include a “Closed Lost” stage.
• Regularly review and adjust stages based on feedback.
• Use a CRM with pipeline management and WhatsApp integration to centralise sales tracking.

Start organising your sales process today with HelloGrowthCRM. Start on the Free Forever plan (200 leads, no credit card).