Deal stages explained

The pipeline: Discovery > Qualified > Demo > Proposal > Negotiation > Verbal Commit > Closed Won / Lost.

Two ways a stage moves

After every analyzed meeting the AI reads where the deal actually stands — a demo actually happened, pricing was actually discussed, a commitment was actually made — and moves the stage forward, never backward, writing a summary of why onto the lead's profile. If you would rather approve each move (Account → Profile → Preferences, Deal stages after a call: I approve each move), the AI suggests it after the call and the lead page asks you to accept or dismiss — the companion asks too; the Stage requirements card below shows what the calls proved. You can also move it yourself from the Deal Stage bar, in either direction. Closing a deal — won or lost — asks you for the reason, and if the lead has a recorded call the win/loss report is written from it. A closed deal stays closed.

Why honest stages matter

Every move is recorded with who made it — the AI after a call, by hand, accepted from the AI's suggestion, or from your CRM — in the lead's Activity Timeline. Stages are the raw material of your forecast: because they come from call evidence and closes come with written reasons, the forecast built on them is one you can stand behind.

Which is exactly where the next collection picks up: turning that pipeline into numbers — and into written answers about why deals close.