Put It To Practice

How to keep your pipeline squeaky clean
Exactly how you flush them is up to you, but here are a few suggestions to help you formulate a definite plan.

  1. Go through all of the contacts in your sales pipeline once per week, or every two weeks. If you find a prospect that's been sitting in the pipe and clogging it up for longer than your typical sales cycle, and doesn't show any sign of moving to the next stage any time soon, flush them.
  2. Don't get rid of them entirely. Put these flushed prospects into a future pipeline or a future callback list. If you're using sales management software (may we suggest Pipedrive for this?), schedule a follow up call or email.
  3. Stay focused on deals that have a strong chance of closing during your established sales cycle.

Flushing prospects out of your sales pipeline will feel a bit strange. It's hard to put aside a potential customer, even a lukewarm one. But the whole thrust of this course is to keep your focus on the strong candidates and to keep them moving along your pipeline. Proper focus, good work habits and continuous effort create a steady flow of revenue.