Building a sales pipeline isn't just for big firms in the Brisbane CBD with massive IT budgets; it’s the lifeline of any growing Australian business. Without a clear view of where your leads are, you’re essentially leaving money on the table and hoping for the best.
In this guide, we’re going to strip away the complexity of expensive enterprise software. I’m going to show you how to build a robust, professional sales pipeline using tools you likely already have (or can access for free), ensuring no lead ever falls through the cracks again.
Why this matters for your business
Most small business owners I talk to keep their 'pipeline' in their head or scattered across a messy inbox. The problem? When you get busy, you forget to follow up. A simple, visual pipeline turns that 'mental clutter' into a repeatable process that helps you forecast your income and know exactly who to call on a Monday morning.---
Prerequisites: What you’ll need
Before we dive in, make sure you have the following ready:- A Google Account: We’ll be using Google Sheets for the data and potentially Trello for the visual board.
- A list of your current leads: Even if it’s just on a notepad for now.
- 30-60 minutes of quiet time: Setting the foundation right is the hardest part; the rest is just maintenance.
- Your ABN (optional): Useful if you decide to integrate with Australian invoicing software like Xero later on.
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Step 1: Define Your Sales Stages
This is where most people get stuck, and honestly, the interface of most apps doesn't help because they give you too many options. You need to map out the journey a customer takes from first contact to 'Money in the Bank'.
Pro tip from experience: Keep it simple. If you have more than seven stages, it becomes a chore to manage. For most Brisbane service businesses (plumbers, consultants, or agencies), these five stages work perfectly:- Inquiry / New Lead: They’ve filled out your website form or called you.
- Qualified / Discovery: You’ve spoken to them and confirmed they actually have a budget and a problem you can fix.
- Proposal Sent: You’ve given them a quote or a formal pitch.
- Negotiation: They’re thinking about it, or you’re ironing out the details.
- Closed Won / Closed Lost: The final result.
Common Mistake: Don't create stages for 'Waiting for them to call back'. That's not a stage; that's an action. Keep the stages focused on the milestones of the deal.
Step 2: Choose Your Low-Cost Tool
You have two main 'non-enterprise' paths here. Don't overthink this—you can always move data later.
Option A: The Spreadsheet (Google Sheets) Best if you love data, numbers, and want to see everything in one big list. It’s the ultimate 'Aussie DIY' approach. Option B: The Kanban Board (Trello) Best if you are a visual person. You move 'cards' from left to right as the deal progresses. It’s very satisfying to drag a card into the 'Won' column! (For the purpose of this guide, we will focus on building the Google Sheets version as it provides better reporting for your business.)Step 3: Set Up Your Master Pipeline Sheet
Open a new Google Sheet. Don't worry if the blank screen feels intimidating; we’re going to fill it up quickly. Create the following headers in the top row (Row 1):
- Date Added
- Company/Client Name
- Contact Person
- Deal Value ($)
- Current Stage (We will turn this into a dropdown)
- Probability (%)
- Weighted Value (Value x Probability)
- Last Contact Date
- Next Action
- Lead Source (e.g., Google Search, Referral, Facebook)
Step 4: Create 'Drop-Down' Menus for Consistency
This is a crucial step. If you type 'Proposal' in one cell and 'Sent Quote' in another, your reporting will break. We need to force consistency.
- Highlight the Current Stage column.
- Go to Insert > Dropdown.
- In the sidebar that appears, add your stages from Step 1.
- Assign colours to them! I usually use grey for 'New', blue for 'Proposal', and bright green for 'Closed Won'. It makes the sheet much easier to read at a glance.
Step 5: Automate Your 'Weighted Value'
This is the 'secret sauce' that makes your DIY tracker feel like expensive software. Not every lead will close, so we shouldn't count 100% of their value in our forecasts.
In your Weighted Value column, enter this formula (assuming Value is Column D and Probability is Column F):
=D2*F2
- New Lead = 10%
- Proposal Sent = 50%
- Negotiation = 80%
If you have a $10,000 lead at the 'Proposal Sent' stage, your sheet will show a weighted value of $5,000. This gives you a much more realistic view of your upcoming cash flow.
Step 6: The 'Next Action' Discipline
This is where the wheels usually fall off for small business owners. Every single lead must have a 'Next Action' and a date.
If the next action is empty, the lead is effectively dead. Even if the action is just "Follow up in 3 months," write it down. This simple habit is what separates the top 1% of businesses from the rest.
Yes, this step is annoyingly fiddly. Bear with it. It’s the difference between a tool that works and a spreadsheet that gathers digital dust.Step 7: Calculate Your Total Pipeline Value
At the very top of your sheet (or on a separate 'Dashboard' tab), use the =SUM() formula to add up your Value column and your Weighted Value column.
Seeing that "Total Weighted Value" number is a massive confidence booster. When you see you have $50,000 worth of weighted deals in progress, that Sunday night 'business anxiety' starts to disappear.
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Troubleshooting Common Issues
- "My sheet is getting too long and messy": Once a deal is 'Closed Won' or 'Closed Lost', move it to a separate tab called 'Archives'. Keep your main tab only for active opportunities.
- "I keep forgetting to update it": Set a recurring 15-minute calendar invite for Friday afternoon. Grab a coffee (or a beer, it's Friday) and update every row. This is your 'Sales Hygiene' time.
- "The formulas aren't working": Double-check that your Value column is formatted as 'Currency' and your Probability column is formatted as 'Percentage'. Google Sheets can be picky about this.
Pro Tips for Australian Business Owners
- GST Reminder: Decide now if your 'Deal Value' includes GST or not. Be consistent, otherwise, your revenue forecasting will be off by 10%—an unpleasant surprise come BAS time!
- Lead Sources: Track if your leads are coming from 'Local SEO' or 'Word of Mouth'. If you're paying for Google Ads, you need to know if those leads are actually moving through these stages.
- Mobile Access: Download the Google Sheets app on your phone. When you finish a meeting in Fortitude Valley or North Lakes, update the 'Next Action' immediately while you're sitting in your car. Don't wait until you get back to the office.
Next Steps
- Input your current leads: Don't worry about being perfect; just get them off your notepad and into the sheet.
- Run your first 'Pipeline Review': Look at your 'Next Action' column. Who are you overdue to call?
- Scale up: Once you're consistently closing deals using this method, you might be ready for more advanced automation.
Setting this up is the first step toward moving from a 'hustle' to a scalable business. You’ve got this!
If you find your pipeline is looking a bit empty and you need more high-quality Brisbane leads to fill those rows, we can help. Head over to https://lmgroup.au/contact and let’s chat about your growth strategy.