Inquiry received
The team knows who asked, what they want, where the project stands, and whether enough context exists for a useful response.
- Buyer role
- Project stage
- Missing context
Proof Asset
Map the sales path.
A CRM stage map turns messy complex demand into a visible operating path. The point is not more fields. It is a clearer view of who owns the inquiry, what context is missing, and what next action moves the opportunity forward.
Direct answer
A CRM stage map should show the next action.
A useful stage map names each stage, the exit criteria, the owner, the missing context, and the decision that moves the opportunity forward. If the CRM only shows activity, leadership cannot manage the revenue gap.
Qualified project
The opportunity has enough value, timing, fit, and ownership to justify specialist attention or a proposal path.
- Value
- Timing
- Owner
Proposal movement
The proposal path has a status, buyer input, deadline, internal owner, and clear next action.
- Status
- Buyer input
- Next action
Current vs clean
Replace vague stages with operating stages.
The map should make the current CRM easier to judge. A stage is only useful if it tells the team what must happen next.
Current: New lead
Too broad. A request for pricing, a partner intro, an RFQ, and a student research note can all look identical.
- Unclear value
- No owner
- No next step
Clean: Context needed
The team can see what is missing before routing the inquiry: role, site, capacity, timeline, budget confidence, or technical constraint.
- Missing field
- Owner task
- Reply path
Clean: Ready for review
The request has enough context for estimating, engineering, leadership, or partner review without wasting specialist capacity.
- Review trigger
- Handoff notes
- Deadline
Stage criteria
Every stage needs an exit rule.
A stage map should prevent stuck pipeline. Each stage should have a simple rule for moving forward, waiting, or closing the loop.
Move forward
The buyer role is credible, the project context is useful, and the next owner can act without guessing.
- Credible role
- Useful context
- Owner ready
Wait
The inquiry is real, but budget, timing, site status, plan, or internal ownership is not ready enough yet.
- Timing unclear
- Scope incomplete
- Recheck date
Close out
The request is low-value, outside the offer, too early, or missing the access needed to move a technical sale.
- Wrong fit
- Too early
- No path
Related paths
Use the stage map with dashboard proof.
The stage map turns audit findings into the fields and dashboard views leadership can run every week.
Pipeline dashboard
Use this when the stage map needs to become a weekly view of qualified opportunities, risk, and next action.
- Stage
- Risk
- Action
Audit teardown
Use this when the team needs to see how one inquiry exposes the stage-map problem.
- Inquiry
- Evidence
- Decision
Power and BESS CRM fields
Use this when readiness fields need to support the stage map for power, BESS, and infrastructure demand.
- Capacity
- Site
- Owner
Next step
Start with the audit.
If there is a measurable revenue problem worth fixing, the Revenue Audit shows whether a Revenue System Sprint is the right next move.
Apply for a Revenue Audit