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Funnels overview

Funnels (/contact-funnels) model staged journeys—awareness through consideration to close—distinct from Deals (revenue pipeline) but often used together. Each funnel has a type, stages, enrolled contacts, and optional analytics.

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Who can do this​

Users with funnel view/edit permission. Enrollment and stage moves may be restricted by role.

Before you begin​

  • Funnel stages agreed with marketing and sales leadership
  • Contacts exist in CRM with Status / Lifecycle Stage aligned to stage definitions
  • Smart Lists ready if you plan bulk enrollment

What you'll accomplish​

  • At least one funnel created with stages
  • Contacts enrolled and movable between stages
  • Understanding of Sales Funnel vs Marketing Funnel types

Step-by-step procedure​

Funnel types​

When creating or editing a funnel, choose the funnel type:

TypeLabel in productTypical use
SalesSales FunnelRep-driven pipeline: discovery → proposal → close
MarketingMarketing FunnelNurture tracks: subscribed → engaged → MQL

Pick the type that matches how you report—marketing ops usually own Marketing Funnel definitions while sales ops own Sales Funnel stages linked to revenue motion.

Open Funnels​

  1. Sidebar → CRM → Funnels (/contact-funnels).
  2. Select Create funnel or open an existing funnel (/funnel/:id).
  3. Review or edit stage names and order on the funnel workspace.

Define stages​

  1. Add stages left-to-right in progression order (early awareness on the left, late stage on the right).
  2. Name stages with verbs or outcomes reps recognize (Demo scheduled, Proposal sent).
  3. Save the funnel layout before enrolling contacts.

Enroll contacts​

  1. Manual — search contacts on the funnel board and add them to a starting stage.
  2. From Smart Lists — enroll a Smart List audience into the first or a specific stage.
  3. Automation — Smart Flows can enroll contacts when triggers fire (see Smart Flows overview).

Move contacts through stages​

  1. Drag cards between columns or use stage actions on the contact row.
  2. Stage moves should log on the contact timeline when activity tracking is enabled.
  3. When a contact reaches a terminal stage, coordinate with Deals if revenue closes on the deals board instead.

Review performance​

  1. Use funnel analytics widgets when shown on the funnel detail page.
  2. Compare enrollment counts by stage weekly to spot bottlenecks.
  3. Pair with Book of Business for revenue outcomes.

Verify your work​

  • Funnel type shows Sales Funnel or Marketing Funnel in settings/detail
  • Enrolled contact visible on the correct starting stage
  • Stage move reflects on contact timeline or funnel board immediately after refresh

Tips​

tip

Keep marketing nurture stages in Marketing Funnel funnels and revenue stages in Deals to avoid duplicate stage semantics.

Troubleshooting​

| Cannot enroll | Missing permission or contact archived | | Duplicate stages with Deals | Use funnels for journey tracking, Deals for dollar pipeline | | Empty board | No enrollments yet—import contacts or enroll a Smart List | | Wrong funnel type selected | Edit funnel metadata if your workspace allows type changes |

See also​