Tracking · Forecast / Deal Hygiene Rules

Build a "Move-It-or-Lose-It" Stuck-Deal Rule

Create a hard rule that forces every stuck agency deal to either advance, downgrade, or drop within a set window.

managerrepIntermediate⏱ 2-3 hours
When to use
Use this when your pipeline is bloated with deals that haven't moved stages in 30, 60, or 90 days but reps refuse to mark them lost. Implement once, then let the rule do the cleanup automatically on a weekly cadence.
The prompt
You are a sales manager who has cleaned up bloated agency pipelines and recovered forecast accuracy from 40% to 85% by enforcing stage-age rules.
Agency: [AGENCY_NAME] — [SERVICES] | CRM: [CRM_TOOL] | Avg sales cycle: [SALES_CYCLE_DAYS] days | Current pipeline size: [PIPELINE_COUNT] open deals | Stage list: [STAGE_LIST].
Design a "Move-It-or-Lose-It" rule: for each pipeline stage, define max idle days, the warning trigger, the escalation step, and the auto-action if the rep does nothing.

- Every threshold must be a specific number of days tied to [SALES_CYCLE_DAYS] (e.g., max idle = 25% of cycle).
- Auto-actions must be executable in [CRM_TOOL] (workflow, automation, or required validation).
- Distinguish retainer deals (longer cycles OK) from project deals (faster decisions expected).
- No "check in with rep" steps — every escalation must have a time-boxed trigger.

Rule table with columns: Stage | Max Idle Days | Day-X Warning | Day-Y Escalation | Day-Z Auto-Action. Followed by a 3-sentence rollout note for the team.
Variables
  • [AGENCY_NAME] — Your agency name
  • [SERVICES] — Services sold
  • [CRM_TOOL] — Your CRM
  • [SALES_CYCLE_DAYS] — Average days from first call to close
  • [PIPELINE_COUNT] — How many open deals are in your pipe today
  • [STAGE_LIST] — Your actual stage names — e.g., Discovery, Proposal, Verbal, Closed Won
Example input
Agency: PixelForge — web design + Shopify builds | CRM: Pipedrive | Cycle: 28 days | Pipeline: 142 open deals | Stages: Qualified, Scoping Call, Proposal, Verbal, Closed.
Example output
MOVE-IT-OR-LOSE-IT RULE — PIXELFORGE

| Stage | Max Idle | Day-X Warning | Day-Y Escalation | Day-Z Auto-Action |
|-------|----------|---------------|------------------|-------------------|
| Qualified | 7 days | Day 5: Slack ping to rep | Day 7: deal flagged in manager view | Day 10: auto-move to Nurture |
| Scoping Call | 10 days | Day 7 | Day 10: 1:1 mention required | Day 14: stage downgrade |
| Proposal | 14 days | Day 10 | Day 14: champion-check email required | Day 21: auto-Lost (reason: No Response) |
| Verbal | 7 days | Day 5 | Day 7: manager joins next call | Day 12: auto-Lost or downgrade |

Rollout: Effective next Monday. Pipedrive automation will fire warnings automatically. Reps own clearing their flags before Friday forecast.
Pro tips
  • Set idle thresholds at roughly 25-50% of your average sales cycle per stage.
  • Run the rule in 'shadow mode' for 2 weeks — log what WOULD happen before enabling auto-actions.
  • Pair this rule with a weekly leaderboard so reps clean up before the manager has to.
Works with
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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