GTM Lifecycle - Project Details / Task List
Tag: gtm-lifecycle
Total Hours: 38h
Structure: Single Milestone (<=50h)
Milestone: GTM Lifecycle
Description: A foundational RevOps project that designs and implements the complete journey stages a lead or account travels from initial awareness through becoming a customer—with clear entry criteria, automated transitions, and date/time stamps configured in the CRM.
Task List: (GTM Lifecycle) 1. Assessment & Design
Contains: Parts 1-2
| Task | Est | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Conduct Stakeholder Interviews | 2h | Meet with marketing, sales, and customer success leaders to understand their current lifecycle definitions and handoff processes. End state: Interview notes capturing each team's perspective on stage definitions and pain points. • Schedule 30-45 minute interviews with VP Marketing, VP Sales, and CS leader • Document each stakeholder's current understanding of lifecycle stages (MQL, SQL, SAL, etc.) • Capture their definition of "qualified"—what makes a lead ready for handoff • Identify where they see leads falling through the cracks or getting stuck • Note any existing SLAs or handoff agreements (formal or informal) • Document friction points between teams regarding lead quality or timing |
| 2. Audit Existing CRM Configuration | 2.5h | Review current CRM fields, picklist values, and automation rules related to lead/contact/account stages. End state: Technical inventory of all lifecycle-related fields and automation in the CRM. • Pull list of all Lead Status and Contact Status picklist values from CRM • Identify any Account-level lifecycle fields (e.g., Account Stage, Customer Status) • Document existing automation rules that change lifecycle stages • Review any validation rules that govern stage progression • Check for existing date stamp fields (e.g., MQL Date, SQL Date) • Note any duplicate or conflicting fields tracking similar data • Export field dependencies and workflow rules for reference |
| 3. Establish Baseline Conversion Metrics | 2h | Pull historical data to calculate current conversion rates between stages. End state: Baseline metrics document showing stage-to-stage conversion rates and average time-in-stage. • Pull lead volume by stage for last 90 days from CRM reports • Calculate conversion rates: Lead-to-MQL, MQL-to-SQL, SQL-to-Opportunity, Opportunity-to-Closed Won • Measure average time-in-stage for each lifecycle phase (if date stamps exist) • Identify stages with highest drop-off rates • Compare marketing's reported MQL numbers to sales' accepted SQL numbers • Document any gaps in data (e.g., "no date stamps exist, velocity unmeasurable") |
| 4. Create Current State Assessment Document | 1.5h | Synthesize findings from interviews, CRM audit, and baseline metrics into a single assessment document. End state: Shareable document with gap analysis ready for stakeholder review. • Summarize current lifecycle stage definitions (or lack thereof) • Document misalignments between team definitions • List baseline conversion metrics with data quality caveats • Identify top 3-5 pain points and root causes • Map gaps between current state and best practice lifecycle management • Include recommendations for stage structure in next phase |
| 5. Define Lifecycle Stages and Entry Criteria | 2.5h | Collaboratively define each lifecycle stage with clear, measurable entry criteria that all teams agree to. End state: Documented stage definitions with binary, objective entry criteria for each stage. • Facilitate working session with marketing, sales, and CS stakeholders (60-90 min) • Define standard stages: Subscriber, Lead, MQL, SQL/SAL, Opportunity, Customer, Churned • Establish measurable entry criteria for each stage (e.g., "MQL = Lead Score >= 50 AND visited pricing page") • Define exit criteria and what triggers backward movement (disqualification, recycling) • Document responsible team for each stage (who owns it, who updates it) • Ensure criteria are binary (yes/no) not subjective ("seems ready") • Get verbal sign-off from each stakeholder on definitions |
| 6. Map Handoff Points and SLAs | 1.5h | Define explicit handoff points between teams with response time SLAs. End state: SLA document specifying handoff triggers and expected response times. • Define MQL-to-Sales handoff trigger and SDR/AE response SLA (e.g., 4 hours) • Define SQL acceptance/rejection process and required disposition • Map Opportunity-to-CS handoff for closed-won deals • Document what happens when a lead is recycled (back to nurture) • Establish escalation path for SLA breaches • Define who monitors SLA compliance and how often |
| 7. Design Date Stamp Fields and Velocity Tracking | 1.5h | Design the date stamp architecture to enable time-in-stage and velocity reporting. End state: Field specification document listing all date stamp fields to be created. • List all date stamp fields needed (MQL Date, SQL Date, Opportunity Created Date, Closed Won Date, etc.) • Define what triggers each date stamp (automation vs. manual) • Determine if date stamps should reset on recycling (e.g., re-MQL date) • Plan for historical backfill if possible (use existing dates for current records) • Specify date format and field type in CRM • Document how velocity will be calculated (e.g., days from MQL to SQL) |
| 8. Get Stakeholder Sign-Off on Design | 1.5h | Present the complete lifecycle design to decision-makers for formal approval. End state: Signed-off design document authorizing CRM build. • Prepare lifecycle design presentation (stages, criteria, SLAs, date stamps) • Schedule sign-off meeting with VP Marketing, VP Sales, and RevOps leader • Walk through each stage definition and entry criteria • Confirm SLA agreements are realistic and accepted • Document any requested changes and update design • Get formal approval (email or meeting notes) before proceeding to build |
Task List: (GTM Lifecycle) 2. CRM Configuration & Reporting
Contains: Parts 3-4
| Task | Est | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9. Create or Update Picklist Fields | 2h | Configure the lifecycle stage picklist field(s) in CRM with agreed-upon values. End state: Single source-of-truth picklist field for lifecycle stages on Lead, Contact, and/or Account objects. • Create or update Lead Status picklist with approved stage values • Create or update Contact Status picklist (if tracking at contact level) • Consider Account-level lifecycle field for ABM motions • Set default values for new records (e.g., "Subscriber" or "New Lead") • Configure field-level security (who can edit, who is read-only) • Add picklist to page layouts and ensure visibility for all users |
| 10. Build Automation Rules for Stage Transitions | 3.5h | Configure automation to move records between stages based on defined entry criteria. End state: Automation rules triggering stage changes when criteria are met. • Build MQL trigger automation (e.g., when Lead Score >= 50 AND pricing page visited, set stage to MQL) • Build SQL handoff automation (e.g., when SDR qualifies lead, set stage to SQL) • Build Opportunity creation automation (e.g., when Opportunity created, update related Lead/Contact to "Opportunity" stage) • Build Closed Won automation (e.g., when Opportunity closed won, set Account to "Customer" stage) • Build recycling automation (e.g., when disqualified, set stage to "Recycled" or "Nurture") • Test each automation in sandbox before deploying to production |
| 11. Configure Date Stamp Fields and Triggers | 3h | Create date fields for each lifecycle stage and automation to populate them. End state: Date stamp fields populated automatically on stage entry. • Create date fields: MQL_Date__c, SQL_Date__c, Opportunity_Date__c, Closed_Won_Date__c, etc. • Build automation to stamp date when stage changes (Process Builder, Flow, or Apex trigger) • Decide handling for re-entry (overwrite date vs. preserve original) • Configure first-touch date stamps where needed (First MQL Date if tracking re-MQLs) • Test date stamps with sample records (advance stage, verify date populates) • Backfill historical records if data exists (use Closed Date for Closed Won, etc.) |
| 12. Build Validation Rules for Stage Integrity | 2h | Create validation rules to prevent invalid stage changes or data quality issues. End state: Validation rules enforcing stage progression logic and data integrity. • Build validation rule to prevent backward movement (e.g., can't go from SQL back to Lead without disposition) • Require disposition reason when disqualifying or recycling leads • Enforce required fields at certain stages (e.g., SQL requires Company Size and Budget Timeline) • Prevent reps from manually overriding automated stage changes (if desired) • Test validation rules to ensure they don't block legitimate use cases • Document validation rules and error messages for user training |
| 13. Create Conversion Rate Reports | 2h | Build reports showing stage-to-stage conversion rates for funnel analysis. End state: Conversion rate reports available to marketing, sales, and RevOps leaders. • Build Lead-to-MQL conversion rate report (MQLs / Total Leads by period) • Build MQL-to-SQL conversion rate report (SQLs / MQLs by period) • Build SQL-to-Opportunity conversion rate report • Build Opportunity-to-Closed Won win rate report • Add filtering by lead source, campaign, rep, and time period • Create report folders with appropriate sharing settings |
| 14. Build Velocity and Time-in-Stage Reports | 2h | Create reports showing average time records spend in each stage. End state: Velocity reports enabling funnel speed optimization. • Build average time from Lead to MQL report (using date stamp fields) • Build average time from MQL to SQL report • Build average time from SQL to Closed Won report • Add segmentation by lead source, deal size, and rep • Identify outliers (leads stuck in stage > X days) for follow-up • Create velocity trend report showing improvement over time |
| 15. Create Lifecycle Dashboard | 2h | Consolidate reports into a single dashboard for executive visibility. End state: Executive-ready dashboard showing funnel health and velocity metrics. • Create dashboard with conversion rate charts by stage • Add velocity metrics showing average time-in-stage • Include volume metrics (leads entering each stage by week/month) • Add leaderboard or breakdown by rep/team if applicable • Configure dashboard refresh schedule (daily or real-time) • Set dashboard visibility for marketing, sales, and CS leaders |
Task List: (GTM Lifecycle) 3. Training & Handoff
Contains: Parts 5-6
| Task | Est | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 16. Create Lifecycle Documentation Package | 1.5h | Document the complete lifecycle framework for team reference. End state: Comprehensive documentation ready for training and ongoing reference. • Write lifecycle stage definitions with entry/exit criteria • Document which team owns each stage and their responsibilities • Include screenshots of CRM fields and where to find them • Create quick-reference card (one-pager) for reps • Document SLAs and escalation paths • Include FAQ section for common edge cases |
| 17. Conduct Marketing Team Training | 1.5h | Train marketing team on MQL criteria, automation triggers, and their responsibilities in the lifecycle. End state: Marketing team understands MQL definition and handoff process. • Schedule 30-45 minute training session with marketing team • Review MQL definition and entry criteria • Explain automation triggers (what causes MQL status change) • Walk through handoff to sales and SLA expectations • Demonstrate where to view MQL conversion metrics • Address questions and document edge cases raised |
| 18. Conduct Sales Team Training | 1.5h | Train sales team on SQL acceptance, stage update responsibilities, and how to use lifecycle data. End state: Sales team understands their role in lifecycle tracking. • Schedule 30-45 minute training session with sales/SDR team • Review SQL definition and acceptance criteria • Explain what to do when receiving MQL handoff (accept, reject with reason) • Demonstrate how to update stages in CRM correctly • Show conversion rate reports and how to interpret them • Address questions about recycling leads and edge cases |
| 19. Execute Rollout and Monitor Adoption | 2h | Go live with new lifecycle stages and monitor for issues during first week. End state: Lifecycle live in production with adoption tracking in place. • Deploy all configuration changes to production (if not already done) • Send announcement to all GTM teams with go-live date • Monitor CRM for stage change activity in first 48 hours • Check automation logs for errors or unexpected behavior • Identify records stuck in limbo or incorrectly staged • Address urgent issues same-day and document for refinement |
| 20. Conduct 30-Day Check-In Review | 2h | Review adoption metrics and gather feedback 30 days after go-live. End state: List of refinements needed based on real-world usage. • Pull adoption metrics: stage changes per week, SLA compliance rates • Compare conversion rates to pre-implementation baseline • Interview sales and marketing leads on what's working and what's not • Identify edge cases that aren't handled by current logic • Document feedback for criteria adjustments or automation fixes • Prioritize refinements based on impact |
| 21. Refine Stage Criteria and Automation | 2h | Make adjustments to stage criteria and automation based on 30-day feedback. End state: Optimized lifecycle logic addressing identified issues. • Update entry criteria for any stages with definitional confusion • Fix automation rules that are misfiring or missing cases • Add handling for newly identified edge cases • Update validation rules if they're blocking legitimate work • Test changes in sandbox before deploying to production • Communicate changes to affected teams |
| 22. Transfer Ownership and Close Project | 2h | Hand off lifecycle management to client RevOps team with documentation and admin access. End state: Client self-sufficient with lifecycle management. • Transfer admin access and credentials to client RevOps lead • Deliver final documentation package (design doc, training materials, runbooks) • Review how to make future stage or criteria changes • Provide troubleshooting guide for common issues • Schedule optional 90-day follow-up if desired • Close out project and archive deliverables |
Summary
- Total Task Lists: 3 (consolidated from 6 Parts)
- Total Tasks: 22 (one per Step)
- Total Hours: 38h
- Generated from: playbook_gtm-lifecycle.md
- Generated on: 2025-12-31