SOP: Deal Stage Advancement

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to define the rules and process for moving opportunities through pipeline stages in the CRM. A standardized advancement process ensures deal health is accurately reflected, sales forecasts are reliable, and Pre-Sales/Delivery teams are engaged at the right time.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to:

  • All opportunities recorded in CRM.
  • Sales Representatives, Account Managers, Sales Managers, and Sales Ops.
  • IT Services & SaaS engagements across SMB, mid-market, and enterprise deals.

3. Definitions

  • Pipeline Stage: Predefined steps in the sales cycle (e.g., Discovery Completed → Qualified → Demo → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed).
  • Stage Advancement: Moving an opportunity from one stage to the next in CRM, based on defined exit criteria.
  • Exit Criteria: Mandatory conditions that must be satisfied to move a deal to the next stage.

4. Step-by-Step Process

A. Stage Advancement Principles

  1. Stages are progressive; skipping stages is not allowed.
  2. Stage advancement must be based on evidence, not assumptions.
  3. All exit criteria must be recorded in CRM before advancing a stage.

B. Exit Criteria for Each Stage

  1. Discovery Completed → Qualified
    • Discovery call executed and logged (see Discovery Call Execution SOP).
    • MEDDPICC framework updated with at least Metrics, Pain, Economic Buyer.
    • Opportunity created in CRM with mandatory fields (see CRM Opportunity Creation SOP).
  2. Qualified → Demo/Workshop Scheduled
    • Prospect confirms interest in seeing solution capabilities.
    • Key stakeholders (decision makers/influencers) invited.
    • Next Step logged with calendar link.
  3. Demo → Proposal
    • Demo/Workshop completed.
    • Prospect expressed alignment on requirements and expectations.
    • High-level budget/timeline confirmed.
    • Internal approval for proposal creation secured.
  4. Proposal → Negotiation
    • Proposal submitted and acknowledged by prospect.
    • Pricing, terms, or delivery discussions initiated.
    • Champion identified and engaged.
  5. Negotiation → Closed Won
    • Contract signed, procurement cleared.
    • All paper process steps complete.
    • Opportunity value, close date, and contract uploaded in CRM.
  6. Negotiation → Closed Lost
    • Prospect confirms non-selection (competitor, no decision, budget freeze).
    • Loss reason recorded in CRM → standardized dropdown.
    • Manager approval required before marking “Lost.”

C. Advancement Procedure

  1. Sales Rep reviews current opportunity data.
  2. Check if exit criteria for current stage are satisfied.
  3. Update CRM with relevant documents/notes.
  4. Move deal to next stage via CRM pipeline.
  5. Record Next Step (meeting, proposal, etc.).
  6. Notify Pre-Sales/Delivery if engagement is required for next stage.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  • Sales Representative: Owns opportunity, ensures criteria met before advancement.
  • Sales Manager: Validates stage advancement during weekly pipeline review.
  • Pre-Sales Consultant: Provides input for demo, proposal readiness.
  • Sales Ops: Monitors CRM pipeline integrity and reporting accuracy.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  • Advancing without satisfying exit criteria → flagged by Sales Ops and reviewed by Sales Manager.
  • Repeated violations → deal rollback and performance warning.
  • Deals without Next Step logged → excluded from forecast reports.

7. Review & Ownership

  • Document Owner: Head of Sales.
  • Review Cycle: Quarterly, aligned with sales process updates.
  • Version Control: Maintained in CRM knowledge base.