Understanding the Deal Pipeline (Kanban Board)
How deals move through stages and what that view actually tells you.
What the pipeline is
A kanban-style board where every open deal sits in one column representing its current stage — by default: New, Qualified, Proposal, Negotiation, Won. Each stage carries a probability percentage (10% through 100%) used to estimate likely revenue.
Why a visual pipeline instead of a list
A list of deals tells you what exists; a pipeline tells you where things are stuck. If your "Proposal" column is overflowing and "Negotiation" is empty, you have a follow-up problem, not a pipeline problem — that's visible at a glance on a board in a way it isn't in a spreadsheet.
When to check it
Regularly — most teams review the pipeline weekly to spot deals that have gone quiet in a stage too long, and before any forecasting conversation, since total pipeline value (sum of open deal values) is shown right on the dashboard.
How to use it
- Go to Deals to see the board.
- Drag a deal card between columns as it progresses — this is the fastest way to update stage, and it logs a STAGE_CHANGE activity automatically.
- Click into a deal for its full detail — value, close date, linked contact/company, activity timeline.
- Deals marked Won or Lost close out of the active pipeline view.
If the default five stages don't match how you actually sell, see Customizing Your Pipeline Stages.