Overview

B2B sales require a strategic, consultative approach—longer sales cycles, multiple stakeholders, and complex decision-making. Pipedrive is built to help B2B teams stay organized, drive meaningful interactions, and close deals efficiently.

This guide outlines the best practices B2B sales teams should follow to get the most out of Pipedrive—from lead capture to closing.

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🧭 1. Set Up a Sales Process-Aligned Pipeline

Why:

B2B deals often move through more defined stages. Aligning your pipeline with your real-world process enables accurate forecasting and accountability.

How:

• Go to Deals > + Add Pipeline
• Create custom stages like:
  • Prospecting
  • Qualification
  • Needs Analysis
  • Proposal Sent
  • Decision Pending
  • Closed (Won/Lost)

📌 Tip: Keep stage names action-oriented and milestone-based.

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📇 2. Use Custom Fields to Capture Key B2B Info

B2B sales usually involve more details than B2C. Use custom fields to track:

• Number of employees
• Industry
• Decision-makers
• Contract value
• Renewal date

→ Go to Settings > Data Fields to add these to Deals, People, or Organizations.

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🧩 3. Segment Leads Using Tags and Filters

Group your leads and deals by criteria like:

• “Enterprise” vs “SMB”
• “Inbound” vs “Outbound”
• “High Priority”
• “RFP opportunity”

Use Tags and Custom Filters to build smart views for each rep or team.

📌 Tip: Combine tags with lead source tracking to prioritize by marketing ROI.

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🔄 4. Automate Repetitive B2B Tasks

B2B deals take time—automation saves it.

Recommended Workflows:

• Auto-assign new leads to specific reps
• Auto-send intro emails when deals are created
• Create follow-up tasks when a deal moves to “Proposal Sent”
• Notify account managers when deals close

→ Use Tools > Workflow Automation or integrate with Zapier/Outfunnel for more flexibility.

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🗂️ 5. Centralize Communication & Documentation

Keep all touchpoints in one place:

• Use Email Sync to track messages in deal timelines
• Attach documents like proposals or contracts
• Add notes after every call
• Use Smart Docs (on Advanced plans) for branded quotes and e-signatures

📌 Tip: Enable two-way calendar sync to link calls and meetings to the CRM.

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📞 6. Use Activities to Drive Next Steps

B2B deals stall without consistent follow-ups.

Best practices:

• Log all calls, emails, and meetings as activities
• Set next activity dates to never lose momentum
• Filter deals by “No Next Activity” to find stale opportunities

📌 Set reminders so every deal has a next step assigned.

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📈 7. Use Insights Reports to Drive Sales Strategy

B2B sales need data-driven decisions. Use Pipedrive Insights to track:

• Conversion rates by pipeline stage
• Win rates by product, rep, or industry
• Average deal value over time
• Activity volume vs outcome
• Lost reason analysis

→ Go to Insights > + Add Report to build custom dashboards.

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🤖 8. Integrate Pipedrive with Your Sales Stack

B2B sales rarely run on CRM alone. Recommended integrations:

• LinkedIn: Use tools like Surfe or Outfunnel to track LinkedIn leads
• Outreach/Reply.io: For email sequences
• Slack: Notify reps of pipeline activity
• Zoom: Log calls and meeting notes
• PandaDoc or DocuSign: Proposal and contract management
• Google Sheets or BI Tools: Advanced forecasting

🧠 9. Align Sales and Marketing for B2B Funnel Health

• Sync lead source, campaign, and UTM data into Pipedrive
• Share pipeline views with marketing
• Regularly review MQL > SQL > Deal > Close conversion rates
• Use tags to track campaign influence on closed-won deals

📌 Use tools like Outfunnel, Leadfeeder, or HubSpot Sync for full-funnel visibility.

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🧹 10. Keep the CRM Clean and Focused

Data hygiene is critical in B2B:

• Regularly review and merge duplicates
• Use “rot rate” to remove dead deals
• Archive or delete irrelevant leads
• Standardize data entry via dropdowns and custom fields
• Review pipeline bottlenecks monthly

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📝 B2B Sales Team Playbook Summary

Area	Best Practice
Pipeline	Align with consultative sales stages
Data	Use custom fields + tags
Process	Automate repetitive steps
Communication	Centralize emails, notes, docs
Reporting	Use Insights to optimize strategy
Alignment	Integrate sales & marketing data
CRM Health	Clean up regularly