Direct Answer
A pipeline in a CRM is the visual sequence of stages a lead passes through from first contact to closed deal. Typical service-business stages: New Lead → Contacted → Estimate Sent → Job Scheduled → Job Complete → Reviewed. Each stage has its own automations and reporting metrics.
Voice answer (≤30 words)
“A pipeline is the visual sequence of stages a lead passes through, from new lead to closed job.”
Keep pipelines flat (5–7 stages). Long pipelines look thorough but slow down adoption and reporting.
Track conversion rate per stage transition — that's where coaching opportunities show up most clearly.
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