Overview #
Contact stages track where contacts are in your sales or customer lifecycle. They help prioritize follow-ups, measure conversion rates, and visualize your pipeline.
What are Stages? #
Stages track contact position in your business process.
Common Examples:
- Sales: New → Contacted → Qualified → Proposal → Won/Lost
- SaaS: Lead → Trial → Customer → Renewal → Churned
- Support: New Ticket → In Progress → Waiting → Resolved
Default Stages #
The system includes default stages with color coding:
- New (Blue) – Just added
- Contacted (Green) – Initial contact made
- On Trial (Light Blue) – Using trial/demo
- On Hold (Orange) – Temporarily paused
- At Risk (Red) – May churn/cancel
- Unpaid (Dark Orange) – Payment pending
- Paid (Green) – Payment received
- Lost (Gray) – Opportunity lost
These stages are fully customizable.
Managing Stages #
To view and manage stages:
- Navigate to PloverCRM → Settings → General
- Find the Stage Colors section
- Modify stages and assign colors
- Save Changes
Renaming Stages (Cascade Update) #
When renaming a stage, the system automatically updates all contacts with the old name to the new name.
Deletion Protection #
The system prevents deleting stages that are assigned to contacts. To delete a stage, first reassign contacts to a different stage, then delete the empty stage.
Assigning Stages #
Stages can be assigned:
- During contact creation via the Stage field dropdown
- Via bulk operations (select contacts → Bulk Actions → Update Stage)
- Via form integration through data source mapping
Filtering by Stage #
In the WordPress Admin, use Contacts → Filter by Stage to view contacts by their current stage.
Best Practices #
Naming:
- Use action-oriented names
- Be specific
- Keep it simple (5-10 stages maximum)
Color Coding:
- Green for positive outcomes
- Red for negative outcomes
- Blue for neutral/new
- Orange for warnings
- Gray for inactive
Stage Flow:
- Create linear progression
- Define clear exit points
- Review regularly
Common Stage Setups #
Sales Pipeline:
New Lead → Contacted → Qualified → Demo → Proposal → Won/Lost
SaaS Lifecycle:
Trial Signup → Trial Active → Trial Expiring → Paid → At Risk → Churned
E-commerce:
Visitor → Cart Abandoned → First Purchase → Repeat Customer → VIP
Stages vs Status #
Stages represent position in the lifecycle and business process, while Status refers to subscription state (Subscribed, Unsubscribed, Bounced).
