How to Fix Pipeline Hygiene in HubSpot: A Practical Guide
Poor pipeline hygiene leads to inaccurate forecasts, wasted time, and missed opportunities. Here's how to fix it in HubSpot.
Common Pipeline Hygiene Issues
1. Stale Deals
Deals that haven't been updated in 30+ days clog your pipeline and skew forecasts.
2. Inaccurate Deal Stages
Deals in wrong stages make it impossible to predict revenue accurately.
3. Missing Information
Incomplete deal records make it hard to prioritize and forecast.
4. Duplicate Records
Multiple records for the same opportunity create confusion and double-counting.
How to Fix It
Step 1: Audit Your Pipeline
Review all deals and identify:
- Deals with no activity in 30+ days
- Deals in wrong stages
- Missing required fields
- Duplicate opportunities
Step 2: Clean Up Stale Deals
- Contact owners to update or close stale deals
- Move inactive deals to "Lost" or "Closed Lost"
- Archive deals that are no longer relevant
Step 3: Standardize Deal Stages
Ensure all deals are in the correct stage based on actual progress, not wishful thinking.
Step 4: Enforce Data Quality
- Set required fields in HubSpot
- Create validation rules
- Train team on proper data entry
Step 5: Regular Maintenance
Schedule weekly pipeline reviews to maintain hygiene.
Best Practices
- Update deals weekly minimum
- Use automation to flag stale deals
- Regular pipeline reviews with team
- Clear stage definitions
Conclusion
Good pipeline hygiene is essential for accurate forecasting and effective sales management. Regular maintenance and clear processes keep your HubSpot pipeline clean and actionable.
