Deal stage exit criteria definition

Define clear exit criteria for each deal stage so reps move opportunities based on evidence, not hope.
Sales - Deal stage exit criteria definition

Who it's for

Sales managers, RevOps teams, CRM administrators, Founders, Revenue leaders

Get Ready

Prepare the Required Inputs listed in the Workflow Prompt. Use as much detail as necessary.

How to use this prompt

1. Copy the Workflow Prompt.
2. Paste it into your AI tool.
3. Replace the "Required Inputs"
4. Run the prompt.

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Workflow Prompt

				
					You are a sales process architect. Your task is to define deal stage exit criteria that ensure opportunities move through the pipeline based on verified progress.

### Required Input
- Sales Motion: [Describe how deals are sold, e.g. "SMB inbound demos", "mid-market consultative sales", "enterprise outbound"]
- Offer: [Describe what is sold, e.g. "implementation-heavy accounting software"]
- Current Deal Stages: [List all active CRM stages in order]
- Buyer Decision Process: [Describe typical decision steps, e.g. "user evaluation, finance approval, legal review, signature"]
- Required Sales Activities: [List core activities, e.g. "qualification, discovery, demo, business case, proposal, procurement"]
- Common Stage Problems: [Describe issues, e.g. "reps move deals to proposal too early", "legal stage contains unqualified deals"]
- Forecasting Needs: [Explain what leadership needs from stage accuracy, e.g. "more reliable close dates and commit forecast"]
- CRM Data Requirements: [List required fields or fields available, e.g. "next step, close date, amount, decision-maker, competitor"]

### Input Validation
Review all inputs before defining exit criteria. If current stages, buyer decision process, common stage problems, or CRM data requirements are missing or unclear, ask specific clarification questions. Do not invent a sales process without understanding the current pipeline. Pause and wait for clarification.

### Instructions
Create exit criteria for each pipeline stage so the team knows exactly what must be true before a deal can move forward. Exit criteria should be observable, evidence-based, and tied to buyer actions or confirmed sales milestones.

For each stage, define what the seller must complete, what the buyer must confirm, what CRM fields must be updated, and what evidence is required. Avoid vague criteria such as "buyer seems interested" or "good conversation." Replace them with proof, such as confirmed pain, agreed next meeting, identified decision process, proposal requested, commercial terms reviewed, or legal owner assigned.

Include rules for moving deals backward, marking them stalled, or closing them lost. This is important because exit criteria only work when poor-fit or inactive deals are not allowed to remain in advanced stages.

Make the criteria practical for daily use. The final output should be suitable for team training, CRM documentation, and manager pipeline inspection.

### Output
Provide the final answer in this structure:

1. Exit Criteria Design Summary
- Main stage hygiene issue being solved
- How strict the criteria should be
- How this improves pipeline accuracy

2. Stage Exit Criteria
For each stage include:
- Stage name
- Required seller actions
- Required buyer evidence
- Required CRM fields
- Exit criteria
- Do-not-advance warning signs
- Move-back or close-lost triggers

3. Manager Inspection Questions
- Questions a manager should ask before accepting stage movement

4. CRM Enforcement Suggestions
- Fields to make required
- Automation or reminders to consider, without relying on paid tools

5. Team Adoption Notes
- How to roll this out without overcomplicating the sales process
				
			

Optional advanced instructions

				
					Create a concise one-page version that sales managers can use in pipeline reviews.
				
			

Example output

1. Exit Criteria Design Summary

Inputs used: Sales motion: mid-market consultative sales. Offer: implementation-heavy accounting software. Current stages: New Lead, Qualified, Discovery, Demo, Proposal, Negotiation, Legal, Closed Won/Lost. Buyer process: user evaluation, finance approval, legal review, signature. Activities: qualification, discovery, demo, business case, proposal, procurement. Problems: reps move deals to proposal too early; legal contains unqualified deals. Forecasting: reliable close dates and commit forecast. CRM fields: next step, close date, amount, decision-maker, competitor.

Main issue solved: premature stage advancement. Strictness: moderate-high from Discovery onward. Forecast impact: better stage accuracy, cleaner close dates, fewer fake legal/commit deals.

2. Stage Exit Criteria

  • New Lead: Seller: review source/fit. Buyer evidence: valid company/contact. Fields: source, company size. Exit: qualified meeting booked or disqualified. Warning: bad data. Trigger: close lost if invalid.
  • Qualified: Seller: confirm ICP, role, problem, meeting. Buyer: accepts discovery. Fields: role, fit, meeting date. Exit: discovery completed. Warning: no buyer pain.
  • Discovery: Seller: document pain, impact, process, stakeholders. Buyer: confirms problem and next step. Fields: pain, decision-maker, timeline. Exit: demo/business case agreed. Warning: “interested” only.
  • Demo: Seller: show relevant use cases. Buyer: confirms fit gaps and next step. Fields: success criteria, stakeholders. Exit: proposal requested or business case agreed. Warning: no decision process.
  • Proposal: Seller: send and review live. Buyer: confirms scope, pricing review path, decision criteria. Fields: amount, close date, next step. Exit: commercial path accepted. Warning: proposal emailed with no meeting.
  • Negotiation: Seller: clarify requests and trade-offs. Buyer: active commercial discussion. Fields: concession request, approval owner. Exit: terms agreed or legal/procurement. Warning: unresolved value concern.
  • Legal: Seller: support redlines/procurement. Buyer: legal/procurement owner assigned. Fields: legal owner, redline status. Exit: signature. Warning: no legal contact.
  • Closed: Seller: record won/lost and handoff/loss reason. Buyer: signed or confirms no decision. Fields: close reason, competitor, amount.

3. Manager Inspection Questions

  • What buyer action justifies this stage?
  • Who owns the next step?
  • Has the economic buyer been identified?
  • Is the close date tied to a buyer event?
  • What would make this deal move backward?

4. CRM Enforcement Suggestions

Require next step, close date, decision-maker, amount, pain, and stage age. Add reminders for no next activity, stale close date, and proposal without review meeting.

5. Team Adoption Notes

Roll out with examples, not a policy memo. Review five real deals weekly and coach stage evidence. Keep fields minimal enough for reps to maintain consistently.

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