Why pipelines drift, and how stage rules stop it
Most pipelines drift. Reps move deals without a close date, stages mean different things to different people, and old deals stay open for months.
Anvil gives each deal stage a win probability, a forecast category, a time target, and required fields. It asks for the right data when deals move, weights the forecast by stage, and shows the deals that have stalled before the pipeline review.
Five settings on every deal stage
Each setting turns a part of your sales process into a rule that Anvil applies when a deal moves. Set them when you create the pipeline, and change them as your process changes.
Win probability
Weights each open deal in the forecast by the stage it is in.
Forecast category
Puts the stage in Pipeline, Best case, Commit, Closed, or Not forecasted.
Target days in stage
Sets how long a deal should stay in the stage, so stage reports show which deals run late.
Required fields
Asks for the values a deal must have, such as an amount or close date, before it moves into the stage.
Outcome
Marks the stage as open, won, or lost, so win rates and closed revenue stay correct.
Lead pipelines use win probability, forecast category, and outcome.
The board and the deals that need attention
- Move deals and leads between stages on a drag-and-drop board, or work from a filtered list.
- The dashboard lists overdue activities, deals past their close date, and deals with no update for 14 days.
- Workspace admins choose which members and roles can see each pipeline, on every plan.
Meridian Systems - Platform rollout
Meridian Systems
Bluegrass Labs - Starter plan
Bluegrass Labs
Atlas Freight - Ops expansion
Atlas Freight
Lumen & Co - Annual contract
Lumen & Co
Vantage Retail - Multi-region
Vantage Retail
Northwind Trading - Renewal
Northwind Trading
Won and lost deals
- Record a win or loss reason, details, and the main competitor when a deal closes.
- Track the competitors on each open deal, so you know who you are up against before the proposal.
- Reopen a deal or correct a closure, and keep the full history of each change.
Pipeline reports on Pro
- Weighted forecast by expected close month.
- Win rate and won revenue by owner.
- Time in stage against each stage's target.
- Custom dashboards and scheduled reports by email for the team.
Setting up a pipeline
- Step 1
Name real buying steps
Name each stage after something the buyer does, such as Demo held or Proposal sent, not after a rep's guess.
- Step 2
Set probability and category
Give each stage a win probability and a forecast category, so the forecast follows your stages.
- Step 3
Require the key fields
Require an amount and close date at the stages where the forecast starts to count the deal.
- Step 4
Review stalled deals weekly
Start each pipeline review with the deals that need attention, then update or close them.
Sales teams already running on Anvil
Questions and answers
- What is a pipeline management tool?
- A pipeline management tool tracks each deal through the stages of your sales process, from first contact to won or lost. It shows the value at each stage, the work that is due, and the deals that have stopped moving.
- How many pipelines can I have in Anvil?
- Standard includes one sales pipeline and one lead pipeline. Pro has no pipeline limit, for teams with separate sales motions, regions, or products.
- Can I control who sees each pipeline?
- Yes. Workspace admins choose which members and roles can see each pipeline, on every plan.
- Does Anvil forecast revenue from the pipeline?
- Yes, on Pro. Forecast reports weight open deals by stage probability and group them by expected close month or forecast category.