I’m working on configuring our HubSpot deal pipeline but struggling to find relevant guidance. Most resources I come across focus on software companies with subscription models, free trials, and demo-heavy sales processes.
Our situation is different. We manufacture industrial equipment and sell through wholesale channels. Our sales approach centers on building relationships with field representatives rather than online demos or monthly recurring revenue.
I need to create straightforward deal stages that match our actual sales workflow without adding unnecessary complexity for our sales team.
Looking for input on:
• Anyone from physical product companies who has successfully configured HubSpot deal stages?
• Resources or methodologies specifically for manufacturing sales processes?
• Tips for stage naming and organization that keeps things simple for field sales teams?
I’d love to see real examples or get book recommendations. Want to maintain good pipeline tracking without making the system too complicated for daily use.
Manufacturing sales consultant here - I’ve helped several companies switch from legacy systems to HubSpot. Your pipeline stages don’t matter as much as your qualification criteria between stages. Mirror your actual approval process instead of using generic sales steps. For wholesale industrial equipment, try stages like Opportunity Identified, Technical Fit Confirmed, Budget Approved, and Final Authorization. Here’s what most companies screw up: they don’t define clear exit criteria for each stage. What exactly has to happen before a deal moves forward? Document those requirements and train your field team on them. Don’t forget seasonal factors - manufacturing purchases usually align with budget cycles or maintenance schedules. Your deal velocity will be totally different from software companies, so adjust HubSpot’s forecasting settings. The default probability percentages are useless for industrial sales.
Had the same problem when we set up HubSpot for our machinery manufacturing company. Don’t use the standard SaaS deal stages - they won’t work for you. Build your own stages around your actual sales process. We went with five: Initial Contact, Technical Qualification, Quote Development, Contract Negotiation, and Purchase Order. Manufacturing deals take months, so build in longer timelines. Focus on the big decision points, not every little interaction. HubSpot’s wholesale distribution case studies helped us figure out what worked best.
We switched from a basic CRM to HubSpot two years ago for our industrial parts business - learned some hard lessons along the way. Biggest mistake? Trying to copy our old paper process exactly. Don’t do that. Instead, figure out what your sales manager actually needs to forecast revenue and spot bottlenecks. Our final pipeline: Lead Qualification, Needs Assessment, Proposal Submitted, Final Review, and Closed Won/Lost. Keep stage names simple so field reps can update them from their phones without getting confused. Manufacturing deals stall for reasons you can’t control - customer budget cycles, equipment failures, whatever. We added a separate pipeline for long-term opportunities that might come back later. Your reporting gets way cleaner when you separate active deals from dormant ones.
We rolled out HubSpot for our heavy equipment manufacturing about three years back when our old system couldn’t keep up. The transition sucked at first - we way overthought it. What actually worked was mapping our current handoffs between departments instead of trying to rebuild everything from scratch. Our stages: Inquiry Received, Engineering Review, Cost Estimation, Customer Approval, Order Processing. The game-changer was tracking decision maker engagement separately from the main pipeline. Manufacturing deals have tons of stakeholders on both sides, and this helped our field reps see who still needed convincing. Here’s what nobody tells you - customize your deal properties for manufacturing stuff like delivery timelines, installation requirements, and service agreements. These make or break deal progression but don’t fit HubSpot’s standard templates. Also set up automation rules for deal aging since manufacturing cycles run way longer than whatever HubSpot assumes for typical sales.
Been running HubSpot for our metal fab shop for 18 months now. The key is keeping it simple - we only use 4 stages: prospect identified, site visit scheduled, quote sent, and closed. Manufacturing’s all about relationships, so we track tons of notes instead of adding more stages. Don’t forget to adjust your deal probability percentages either - B2B manufacturing converts way differently than SaaS.