Setting Up Your Lead & Deal Pipeline
Connect every lead source to one pipeline, and build deal stages that reflect how your team actually sells solar - including inspection and proposal as their own stages.
CrmLeaf TeamUpdated July 202630 minSales Admins
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Start Free TrialAdd Your Lead Sources
Why it matters: Every channel needs to land in the same pipeline - a lead captured by a field rep should be just as visible as one from a web form.
- Go to CRM → Settings → Lead Sources
- Add each channel you use: Website Form, Paid Ads, Referral, Door-to-Door
- Connect Facebook Ads under Settings → Integrations if you run paid social campaigns
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEevery lead source appears as a filterable option on the Leads list.
Build Your Deal Pipeline Stages
Why it matters: A solar pipeline needs Inspection and Proposal as distinct, trackable stages - not informal steps buried inside "Qualified."
- Go to CRM → Deals → Pipeline Settings
- Add stages: Lead In, Qualified, Site Visit Scheduled, Inspection Completed, Proposal Sent, Won/Lost
- Set a stage color for quick visual scanning on the pipeline board
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEa test deal can move through all six stages on the pipeline board, in order.
Set Up Lead Assignment Rules
Why it matters: Without a rule, new leads sit unassigned until someone happens to notice them.
- Go to CRM → Settings → Assignment Rules
- Choose Round Robin, Territory-Based, or Manual Queue
- Set a fallback owner for leads that don't match any rule
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEa new test lead is automatically assigned to a rep within seconds of being created.
Create Custom Fields for Lead Qualification
Why it matters: Every solar business qualifies leads slightly differently - roof type, ownership status, credit tier - and the default fields rarely cover all of it.
- Go to CRM → Settings → Custom Fields → Leads
- Add fields like Roof Type, Homeownership Status, or Estimated Bill
- Mark critical fields as required before a lead can move to Qualified
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEthe Lead form shows your custom qualification fields.
Set Up Automated Follow-Up Reminders
Why it matters: A lead that goes three days without contact is far more likely to go cold - a system reminder catches this before a manager has to.
- Go to CRM → Settings → Automation
- Create a rule: if a Lead has no activity for 2 days, create a follow-up task for its owner
- Set an escalation to the sales manager if the task remains open after 24 hours
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEa test lead with no activity generates a follow-up task automatically after 2 days.
Configure Deal Value & Forecasting
Why it matters: Accurate deal values are what make your pipeline reports trustworthy enough to actually plan around.
- Set the default currency and deal value field under CRM → Settings
- Enable weighted forecasting by stage (e.g. Proposal Sent = 50% likelihood)
- Review the Deal Report to confirm forecasted totals look reasonable
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEthe Deal Report shows a weighted pipeline forecast, not just a raw total.
Test Your Pipeline End to End
Why it matters: A five-minute test now catches a broken assignment rule before it costs you a real lead.
- Create a test lead from each configured source
- Move it manually through every pipeline stage
- Confirm assignment, custom fields, and follow-up reminders all fire correctly
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEa single test lead has moved cleanly from Lead In to Won, triggering every rule along the way.
You've completed this tutorial
Your pipeline is live. Next: learn how site inspections feed directly into it.
Next: Site Inspection WorkflowContinue learning
Keep going with the next tutorials in the Solar CRM series.