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How to Set Up and Manage Sales Pipelines in Freshworks CRM

Let me spin you a yarn from when we used to doodle sales strategies on endless coffee-stained notepads. Yes, those times when every thought felt urgent and deadlines loomed like dark clouds. It was during one of these caffeine-addled sessions that we stumbled—almost literally—into the world of Freshworks CRM, right there between a good laugh and a desperate plea for sanity. That foray—unplanned, chaotic—was the genesis of our happy relationship with sales pipelines.

The First Step: Finding Our Bearings​

So, there we were: fresh-eyed and bewildered, trying to make head or tail of it all. Setting up a pipeline in Freshworks begins with clicking on the 'Sales' tab—top of the ladder, right there. It felt like unlocking the secrets of the universe. Within this tab, you see 'Pipelines.' Click it—like opening a treasure chest of opportunities. You can create a new pipeline with just a click on the "+ New Pipeline" button. Much like picking toppings for our pizzas, we named it and selected stages that made sense. You know, from "Initial Contact" to "Put a Ring on it."

Each stage in the pipeline is as crucial as breathing in a yoga class. We added multiple stages by clicking "Add Stage," naming them—sometimes whimsically, sometimes almost prophetically—and setting probability percentages. The act felt like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, every piece fitting somewhere meaningful.

Organizing the Chaos​

Remember that time we tried organizing a friend's surprise party, only to realize they weren't even in town? Well, setting up a pipeline can feel similar, chaotic yet promising. Managing these pipelines means going beyond mere creation. It starts by customizing them, tailoring every part to fit the needs of our sales processes like a well-cut suit.

We discovered the beauty of automation rules—those tiny, invisible elves that work behind the curtains. By navigating to "Admin Settings", then "Automations", we could set rules to trigger emails or tasks when deals reached certain stages. Oh, the joy of automation! It was like hiring a diligent intern we didn’t have to train.

As weeks folded into months, tweaking pipelines became as habitual as morning coffee. In the pipeline view, one can drag and drop deals from stage to stage—imagine shuttling game pieces across a board. It was terribly satisfying. But with great pipelines come great responsibilities. Regularly reviewing the stages to ensure they remain relevant was crucial. Like keeping plants alive, only less arduous.

Examining analytics—found under "Reports"—was akin to reading our tarot cards. Tailored reports shed light on which stage deals lingered too long—like unwanted guests—and which lead us to victories. This insight drove our adjustments and inspired our approaches.

Closing with Flourish​

Living through our Freshworks journey taught us resilience, adaptability, and how to master spirals of organized chaos wrapped in digital delight. Sales pipelines in Freshworks aren’t just about structuring processes, they’re about creating a living, breathing framework that evolves with us.

The magic here is the fluid dance between structure and spontaneity. As we drag, drop, automate, and analyze, remember—pipelines are our partners in this relentless race. So let's embrace the madness, savor our little victories, and perhaps, share a chuckle or two along the way. After all, as our wise friend always said, "No pipeline, no party.”