Sales Lifecycle - Project Details / Task List
Tag: sales-lifecycle
Total Hours: 30h
Structure: Single Milestone (<=50h)
Milestone: Sales Lifecycle
Description: A strategic and technical implementation project that designs and builds an opportunity stage or deal lifecycle structure in the CRM, complete with clear stage definitions, entry/exit criteria, automations, and stage date/timestamp tracking to enable visibility into how deals move through the sales funnel.
Task List: (Sales Lifecycle) 1. Discovery & Design
Contains: Parts 1-2
| Task | Est | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Conduct Stakeholder Interviews | 2h | Interview key stakeholders to understand business objectives, current sales process, and pain points with existing lifecycle tracking. End state: Documented understanding of how the sales team currently works and what visibility gaps exist. • Schedule 30-45 minute interviews with VP Sales, Sales Managers, and 2-3 top-performing reps • Document how deals currently progress from creation to close (their mental model) • Identify pain points: Where do reps get confused about stages? Where do deals stall? • Understand what reports/visibility leadership currently lacks • Capture any existing stage definitions or documentation (often informal or tribal knowledge) • Note which CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot) and current opportunity object configuration |
| 2. Audit Current Opportunity Data | 2h | Pull reports on existing opportunity data to understand current usage patterns and data quality issues. End state: Quantified baseline of current stage usage, stagnation rates, and data gaps. • Export opportunity report showing all stages, time in stage, and conversion rates for last 6 months • Identify stages with high stagnation (opportunities sitting 30+ days without movement) • Document which stage fields exist (picklist values, date fields, probability mappings) • Check for existing stage timestamp fields (Stage Hit Date fields) and their population rates • Assess data quality: percentage of opps with blank required fields, inconsistent stage usage • Create a "before" snapshot for comparison after implementation |
| 3. Document Current vs. Desired State | 2h | Synthesize interview findings and data audit into a gap analysis. End state: Clear documentation of what exists today versus what the ideal lifecycle looks like. • Map current stages against actual sales process milestones • Identify stages that are "catch-all buckets" with no clear meaning • Document missing stages that would improve pipeline visibility • List automation gaps (manual stage changes that should be automated) • Quantify the visibility problem (e.g., "No way to measure average days in Proposal stage") |
| 4. Define Opportunity Stages and Entry Criteria | 3h | Design the complete set of opportunity stages with clear, documented entry and exit criteria for each. End state: Written stage definitions that everyone on the team can understand and apply consistently. • Define 5-8 opportunity stages aligned to actual sales milestones (avoid generic names like "Evaluation") • Use process-specific naming (e.g., "Demo Scheduled", "Demo Completed", "Proposal Sent", "Contract Negotiation") • Write 2-3 bullet entry criteria for each stage (what must be true to enter this stage) • Define exit criteria where relevant (what triggers move to next stage) • Assign probability percentages to each stage for forecasting purposes • Review with VP Sales and get sign-off before implementation |
| 5. Design Stage Date Timestamp Fields | 2h | Determine which stage date fields are needed to track when opportunities hit each stage. End state: Field specification for all timestamp fields to be created in CRM. • Identify which stages need dedicated timestamp fields (typically all stages except Closed Lost/Won) • Define field naming convention (e.g., "Stage Hit Date - Discovery", "Stage Hit Date - Proposal") • Determine whether to track first entry date only or also track re-entry • Specify field type (Date vs. DateTime) based on reporting needs • Document which fields should be auto-populated vs. editable |
| 6. Plan Automation Rules | 2h | Design the automation logic for stage transitions and field updates. End state: Documented automation specification ready for CRM implementation. • Identify which stage transitions should be automated (e.g., meeting booked triggers stage change) • Define validation rules to prevent skipping stages or backward movement without approval • Specify workflow/process builder logic for timestamp field population • Plan automation for probability updates when stage changes • Document edge cases: what happens when opp is reopened from Closed Lost? |
Task List: (Sales Lifecycle) 2. Implementation & Rollout
Contains: Parts 3-4
| Task | Est | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Configure Opportunity Stage Picklist | 3h | Update the opportunity stage picklist in CRM to reflect the new lifecycle design. End state: CRM opportunity stage field updated with new values and old values either removed or mapped. • Create new stage values in Salesforce/HubSpot opportunity object • Set default probability percentages for each stage • Map existing opportunities to new stages (create migration plan for in-flight deals) • Remove or archive deprecated stage values • Update any Sales Process / Record Type associations in Salesforce • Configure stage order for proper pipeline visualization |
| 8. Create Stage Timestamp Fields and Automation | 3h | Build the timestamp fields and automation to populate them. End state: All stage date fields created and auto-populating when opportunities change stages. • Create custom date fields for each stage timestamp • Build workflow rules or Process Builder flows to set timestamp on stage entry • Configure logic to prevent timestamp overwrite (only set if blank) • Test automation with sample opportunity through all stages • Verify timestamp fields appear in opportunity page layout |
| 9. Set Up Validation and Required Fields | 2.5h | Implement validation rules to enforce stage criteria and data quality. End state: Reps cannot advance stages without meeting entry requirements. • Create validation rules requiring key fields before stage advancement • Configure required field logic (e.g., "Close Date" required for Negotiation stage) • Set up path/guidance for each stage in Salesforce Lightning or HubSpot deal properties • Balance enforcement with usability - avoid over-complicating and frustrating reps • Test validation rules with sales team member before full deployment |
| 10. Build Pipeline and Velocity Dashboards | 3.5h | Create dashboards that visualize pipeline health and stage velocity. End state: Leadership has real-time visibility into pipeline progression and bottlenecks. • Build pipeline stage distribution chart (count and value by stage) • Create stage conversion rate report (what % move from Stage A to B) • Build "time in stage" report showing average days per stage • Create stagnation alert report (opps stuck in stage 14+ days) • Add dashboards to Sales Manager homepage • Configure scheduled dashboard email to leadership |
| 11. Pilot Test with Small User Group | 2h | Test the new lifecycle with a small group of reps before full rollout. End state: Validated that the lifecycle works in practice and any issues are identified. • Select 3-5 reps for pilot group (mix of tenures and skill levels) • Have pilot reps process 5-10 opportunities through full lifecycle • Observe and note any confusion, friction, or workaround behaviors • Collect feedback on stage definitions, validation rules, and usability • Adjust configuration based on pilot findings before full rollout |
| 12. Conduct Sales Team Training | 2h | Train the full sales team on the new opportunity lifecycle and stage definitions. End state: All reps understand how to correctly stage opportunities and why it matters. • Schedule 45-60 minute training session (live or recorded) • Cover: stage definitions, entry criteria, what happens when you change stage • Demonstrate how timestamp data enables velocity reporting • Show reps what reports/dashboards they can now access • Create quick-reference guide (1-page PDF of stages and criteria) • Record session and distribute to team with reference materials |
| 13. Hand Off to Client and Establish Governance | 3h | Transfer ownership of the lifecycle to client RevOps and establish ongoing governance. End state: Client is self-sufficient with documentation, admin access, and change management process. • Transfer admin documentation (field specifications, automation logic, dashboard filters) • Train client RevOps on how to modify stages, update automations, add new fields • Establish change request process (how to request lifecycle modifications) • Define data hygiene cadence (weekly pipeline review for stagnant opps) • Schedule 30-day check-in to review adoption and answer questions • Close out project with final deliverables summary |
Summary
- Total Task Lists: 2 (consolidated from 4 Parts)
- Total Tasks: 13 (one per Step)
- Total Hours: 30h
- Generated from: playbook_sales-lifecycle.md
- Generated on: 2025-12-31