Pipeline Next Steps: What Good Looks Like
by Mentor Group
Most pipeline hygiene problems are really “next step” problems.
If next steps are vague, everything else drifts: - Close dates become guesses. - Stages become labels rather than evidence. - Deals become “active” without actually moving.
The fastest way to improve pipeline hygiene (weekly or monthly) is to tighten one standard: every active opportunity must have a mutual, calendarised next step that advances the buyer’s decision journey.
This article shows you what “good” next steps look like, how to upgrade weak ones, and how to make next-step quality a habit across the team.
Why vague next steps destroy pipeline hygiene
Vague next steps sound harmless: - “Follow up next week” - “Check in after they’ve reviewed” - “Send information”
But they create three predictable outcomes: - No buyer commitment: the buyer hasn’t agreed to anything. - No decision momentum: the deal does not advance through a decision process. - No coaching surface: managers can’t coach because there’s no concrete move to improve.
In other words, the pipeline becomes a list of intentions, not a system of progress.
The definition of a ‘good’ next step
A next step is only “good” if it is all four: - Mutual: agreed with the buyer (not just planned by the seller) - Calendarised: date/time set (or a specific scheduled window) - Owned: a named buyer owner is responsible for the action - Outcome-linked: it moves the buyer closer to a decision
If one of these is missing, the next step is not reliable — and neither is the forecast.
The four next-step categories that actually move deals
Not all next steps are equal. The best next steps advance one of four buyer outcomes.
1) Clarity steps (make the problem and impact undeniable)
Use when: - Impact is unclear - Success criteria are vague - Stakeholders don’t agree on the problem
Examples: - “Value workshop with Operations + Finance to quantify impact (Tuesday 10:00, owner: Alex – Ops Director)” - “Current-state walkthrough with end users to confirm workflow gaps (Thursday 15:00, owner: Priya – Team Lead)”
2) Alignment steps (map decision roles and create sponsorship)
Use when: - You have a champion but not a path to signature - Stakeholders are missing - The decision process is unclear
Examples: - “Stakeholder mapping session: confirm economic buyer and approval steps (Wednesday 11:30, owner: Sam – Project Sponsor)” - “Exec sponsor intro call with COO to align on outcomes and timeline (Friday 09:00, owner: Jordan – COO EA)”
3) Validation steps (prove fit and reduce perceived risk)
Use when: - The buyer needs proof - Technical/security work is required - There’s concern about implementation or change
Examples: - “Security review booked with IT; buyer to share questionnaire by Monday (owner: Mia – Head of IT Security)” - “Pilot success criteria agreed and documented; buyer to confirm pilot participants (Tuesday 14:00, owner: Lee – Programme Manager)”
4) Decision steps (turn evaluation into a yes/no pathway)
Use when: - The buyer is evaluating options - Procurement/legal steps are approaching - You need a decision date tied to a compelling event
Examples: - “Commercial review with procurement scheduled; terms pack shared in advance (Thursday 16:00, owner: Sarah – Head of Procurement)” - “Decision meeting booked to confirm supplier and sign-off pathway (Monday 13:00, owner: Chris – Programme Sponsor)”
A pipeline stays clean when most next steps fall into these categories — not “follow up”.
The ‘upgrade’ method: turn weak next steps into strong ones
If you want consistent quality, you need a repeatable rewrite approach.
Step 1: Identify the weak next step
Weak next steps usually fall into one of three types: - Seller activity: “send deck”, “follow up”, “check in” - Buyer intention without commitment: “they’ll review”, “they’re considering” - Open-ended waiting: “after internal discussion”, “when budget is confirmed”
Step 2: Ask the two questions that create mutuality
To upgrade the next step, ask: - “What does the buyer need to decide next?” - “What is the smallest mutual action that moves them towards that decision?”
Step 3: Add the four quality requirements
Rewrite the next step so it includes: - Mutual agreement - A date/time - A buyer owner - A decision-linked outcome
Step 4: Confirm the re-entry trigger if timing is external
If the buyer can’t commit to a step, don’t leave the deal “active”.
Park it with: - A re-entry trigger (what must happen to reactivate) - A review date
This protects pipeline credibility.
Examples: weak next step → upgraded next step
Use these as patterns your team can copy.
Example 1
Weak: “Follow up next week.”
Upgraded: “Stakeholder workshop booked to confirm success criteria and decision roles (Wednesday 10:00, owner: Jamie – Project Sponsor).”
Example 2
Weak: “Send proposal.”
Upgraded: “Commercial review booked with procurement to confirm pricing pathway and contract route (Thursday 15:30, owner: Sarah – Head of Procurement).”
Example 3
Weak: “They’ll review internally.”
Upgraded: “Decision meeting scheduled to confirm evaluation outcome and next steps (Monday 12:00, owner: Chris – Programme Sponsor).”
Example 4
Weak: “Waiting on IT.”
Upgraded: “Security review booked; buyer to return security questionnaire by Friday; technical follow-up call on Tuesday (owner: Mia – Head of IT Security).”
The difference is simple: the upgraded next step is real work, not hope.
How to coach next-step quality (without policing)
Next-step quality improves when managers coach the thinking behind it.
Use these prompts in weekly reviews: - “What is the buyer trying to decide next?” - “What evidence will we have after the next step?” - “Who owns the next action on the buyer side?” - “What’s the calendar commitment?” - “If this step doesn’t happen, what does that tell us?”
You’re not asking for more admin. You’re asking for a clearer path to a decision.
The ‘next step’ governance standard (copy/paste)
If you want one rule that improves hygiene quickly, use this:
Every active opportunity must have a next step that includes: - A buyer owner - A date/time - A meeting or deliverable that advances a decision - A clear expected outcome
If it doesn’t, the opportunity is either: - Not ready for the current stage, or - Not active, and should be parked or closed out.
How this fits into weekly and monthly pipeline hygiene
Next-step quality is the hinge point for hygiene.
Weekly hygiene: - Upgrade next steps on priority deals (stale, closing soon, highest risk) - Park anything that can’t secure a mutual commitment
Monthly hygiene: - Identify recurring weak patterns (e.g., too many “send info” steps) - Coach the underlying behaviours (stakeholder mapping, mutual plans, commercial readiness)
When next steps are strong, close dates become defendable and stage accuracy improves naturally.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating “sending information” as progress (it’s only progress if it leads to a decision-linked buyer action)
- Accepting “they’ll get back to us” as mutuality (it isn’t)
- Confusing internal tasks with buyer progression
- Keeping deals active when timing is external (park them with triggers)
Summary FAQ
What makes a next step ‘mutual’? A mutual next step is agreed with the buyer and includes a clear buyer commitment, not just the seller’s intended action.
Why are vague next steps such a problem for pipeline hygiene? Because they create the illusion of progress without buyer commitment, leading to inaccurate stages, slipping close dates, and stalled deals.
What are the four ingredients of a good next step? Mutual agreement, a calendar commitment, a named buyer owner, and an outcome linked to the buyer’s decision journey.
Is sending a proposal a good next step? Only if it’s tied to a buyer-owned action, such as a scheduled commercial review with procurement or a decision meeting.
What should we do if we can’t secure a buyer commitment? Don’t leave the deal active by default. Park it with a re-entry trigger and review date, or move it back a stage if evidence belongs upstream.
How can managers improve next-step quality without micromanaging? Coach the decision path: ask what the buyer needs to decide next, what evidence the next step creates, and who owns the buyer action.
How often should next steps be reviewed? At least weekly for priority deals. Next steps are the fastest indicator of whether a deal is progressing or decaying.
What’s the simplest standard we can adopt immediately? Every active deal must have a next step with a buyer owner, a date/time, and a decision-linked outcome. If not, it isn’t truly active.