Sales Pipeline Examples Small Business: 5 Proven Pipelines (with Follow-Up Stages)
If you’re a small-business owner looking for practical sales pipeline examples small business teams can actually use, this guide is for you. Your sales pipeline is the heartbeat of your sales process — and your follow-ups are the oxygen. According to Spotio (2024), 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups — yet many leads never get them.
Why Follow-Up Matters More Than You Think
Only a small fraction of sales — roughly 2% — happen on the first contact, according to The Marketing Donut (UK). The rest need persistence and structure. Embedding clear follow-up stages throughout these sales pipeline examples small business owners can follow ensures nothing slips through the cracks and conversions rise.
5 Sales Pipeline Examples Small Business Owners Can Follow
Each of the five sales pipeline examples small business teams can adapt below includes built-in follow-up stages to help you capture the “missing 80%”.
Example 1 — B2B Service Pipeline for Small Business Follow-Up
Pipeline Stages:
Lead identified → Discovery call booked → Discovery call completed → Follow-up after discovery → Proposal sent → Follow-up on proposal → Negotiation / decision → Won / Lost → Onboarding + post-win follow-up
Follow-up focus: Send a recap email within 24 hours; schedule two proposal follow-ups (day 3 and day 7).
Source: SuperOffice (2024).
Example 2 — Recurring Revenue (SaaS / Subscriptions)
Pipeline Stages:
Lead captured → Trial started → Mid-trial follow-up → Decision meeting → Subscription active → Onboarding follow-up (1 week) → Renewal reminder follow-up (30 days) → Renewed / churned
Follow-up focus: Treat follow-ups as retention drivers — check engagement mid-trial, then guide renewal.
Source: Sales Insights Lab (2023).
Example 3 — Trades / Local Service (Plumber, Cleaner, Landscaper)
Pipeline Stages:
Lead captured → Appointment booked → Site survey completed → Quote sent → Follow-up on quote #1 (48–72 hours) → Follow-up on quote #2 (7 days) → Job approved / lost → Job completed → After-job follow-up / review request → Referral
Follow-up focus: Two polite follow-ups post-quote often double conversions.
Source: Small Business Trends (2023).
Example 4 — B2B Product Sales (Supplier / Wholesaler)
Pipeline Stages:
Lead captured → Qualification call → Demo / sample sent → Follow-up on demo feedback → Quote sent → Quote follow-up #1 (3 days) → Quote follow-up #2 (10 days) → Order placed → Delivery complete → Post-delivery follow-up / satisfaction check → Re-order follow-up
Follow-up focus: Follow-ups turn one-off sales into repeat orders.
Source: Invesp (2023).
Example 5 — Event / One-Time Project (Planner / Installer)
Pipeline Stages:
Initial enquiry → Needs assessment → Proposal sent → Follow-up on proposal (3 days) → Contract signed → Project preparation → Mid-project follow-up → Event completed → Post-event follow-up / feedback request → Referral / upsell follow-up
Follow-up focus: Timely post-event follow-up drives repeat bookings and referrals.
Source: Event MB (2023).
How to Build a Sales Pipeline for Small Business Follow-Up Success
- Define stages + follow-ups — Make follow-ups explicit between milestones across all sales pipeline examples small business teams use.
- Set timing rules — Default to 1, 3, and 7 days.
- Automate reminders — Auto-create tasks as deals move stages.
- Track engagement signals — Hot leads trigger extra follow-ups.
- Review weekly — No deal should sit without a next step.
- Celebrate follow-up wins — Reinforce the habit.
How popcorn CRM Visualises Pipelines
- Visual board view: See stages in clear drag-and-drop columns.
- Follow-up reminders & tasks: Auto-schedule as deals move stages.
- Hot prospect tracking: popcorn CRM combines email marketing + website tracking; when contacts engage, they’re flagged red so you can follow up fast.
- Recurring revenue tracking: Renewals appear as pipeline items with reminders.
- Small-team friendly: Built for micro-businesses — no training, no clutter.
In short, popcorn CRM turns follow-up discipline into a visual habit that keeps sales moving.
Use Cases — Results from These Pipelines in Practice
- Consultancy: Adds proposal follow-ups → closes more deals. (SuperOffice 2024)
- SaaS provider: Adds mid-trial follow-ups → churn reduced. (Sales Insights Lab 2023)
- Trades business: Adds quote follow-ups → higher win + review rates. (Small Business Trends 2023)
- Wholesaler: Adds post-delivery follow-ups → more repeat orders. (Invesp 2023)
- Event planner: Adds post-event follow-ups → more return bookings. (Event MB 2023)
Conclusion + Call to Action
Across these sales pipeline examples small business owners can apply today, the difference between “interested” and “sold” is usually one thing — a follow-up. According to Spotio (2024) and The Marketing Donut (UK), success comes after multiple follow-ups — not the first touch.
👉 Book a demo with popcorn CRM to see it in action.
Or start free today — Try our Free CRM, built for UK small businesses ready to get organised and follow up better.
Reference Notes
- Spotio (2024): 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups.
- The Marketing Donut (UK): Only 2% of sales occur at the first meeting.
- SuperOffice (2024): Pipeline/follow-up practices and outcomes.
- Sales Insights Lab (2023): Follow-up impact on retention.
- Small Business Trends (2023): Quote follow-up conversion effects.
- Invesp (2023): Post-purchase follow-up and repeat sales.
- Event MB (2023): Timely event follow-up increases return bookings.
