Creating Multiple Sales Pipelines

Managing sales opportunities efficiently often requires more than one sales pipeline—especially when your business offers multiple products, services, or sales processes. If each product or service follows a distinct sales cycle with different touchpoints and closing timelines, a separate pipeline ensures better organization and tracking.

This guide explains why and how to create multiple sales pipelines in BIGContacts, helping you streamline deal management and improve forecasting accuracy.

Why You Need Multiple Sales Pipelines

Many businesses operate under a single pipeline, but in reality, different products, customer segments, or sales processes often require separate tracking methods. Here’s why:

• Different Sales Cycles – Some deals close in days, others take months. Tracking them together creates inaccurate forecasts.
• Varying Sales Stages – High-ticket products might need more touchpoints, while lower-cost services may involve fewer interactions before closing.
• Better Team Management – Assigning dedicated sales reps to each pipeline improves follow-ups and performance tracking.
• Accurate Forecasting – Custom pipelines allow sales managers to predict revenue more effectively by analyzing each sales journey separately.

If your business sells distinct products or services, or if your sales process varies by customer type, separate pipelines help you stay organized and close deals more efficiently.

How to Set Up Multiple Sales Pipelines in BIGContacts

BIGContacts allows you to create multiple sales pipelines to organize, track, and forecast deals separately for different business areas.

1. Access the Sales Pipeline Dashboard

• Click on the Pipeline link in the left sidebar menu of your BIGContacts account.
• This opens your default Sales Pipeline view, where you can add, customize, and manage sales opportunities.

2. Add a New Sales Pipeline

• Click Customize Pipeline (either from the top-left button or the gear icon in the top-right corner).
• In the Sales Pipeline section, click Add New Sales Stage.

• Name each pipeline stage using a prefix based on the product or service it tracks.

Examples:

• Product A – Lead
• Product A – Proposal Meeting
• Product A – Decision Pending
• Product B – Lead
• Product B – Proposal Meeting
• Product B – Closed/Won

Using prefixes ensures that all stages related to the same pipeline are grouped together, making it easier to manage multiple pipelines in one view.

3. Define Sales Stages and Key Metrics

For each sales stage, enter the following details:

Stage Name

This represents a step in your sales process.

Examples: Initial Contact, Proposal Meeting, Negotiation, Closed Deal

Confidence Level (%)

The probability of an opportunity converting into a sale at each stage.

Example: If 3 out of 10 prospects typically close after a proposal meeting, set the confidence level at 30 percent.

Sales Cycle (Days)

The average number of days a deal takes to close from each stage.

Example: If it usually takes 30 days to close after a proposal meeting, enter 30 days.

These numbers directly impact your sales forecasts, making your pipeline a valuable tool for revenue projections.

Why This Matters: Sales Forecasting and Reporting

BIGContacts offers a Sales Manager Report, which analyzes:

• Opportunities in the pipeline
• Projected revenue based on confidence levels
• Expected deal closures based on sales cycle timelines

By accurately estimating confidence levels and sales cycles, your sales projections become more reliable, helping you plan resources and strategies effectively.

Best Practices for Managing Multiple Pipelines

• Keep your pipelines clean by removing outdated opportunities.
• Segment sales teams by pipeline for better efficiency.
• Automate follow-ups with reminders and email sequences.
• Monitor performance regularly to identify bottlenecks and optimize conversion rates.

By setting up multiple, well-structured sales pipelines, you can gain better visibility, improve organization, and drive higher sales conversions.