Most CRMs come with default stages like Discovery, Demo, Proposal, and Negotiation. The names are fine. The problem is that nothing defines when a deal is actually allowed to move from one to the next. Exit criteria fix that.
What exit criteria are
Exit criteria are one to three things that must be true, and verifiable, before a deal advances. They describe what the buyer has done or confirmed, not what the seller has done. "Sent proposal" is a seller activity. "Buyer agreed the proposed scope solves the problem they described" is an exit criterion.
A starting framework
- Discovery: a business problem confirmed in the buyer's words, and a reason to act now.
- Solution: the decision maker and decision process identified, and success criteria agreed.
- Proposal: scope and investment range reviewed live with the decision maker.
- Negotiation: verbal selection, with paperwork and a signing date on the calendar.
Roll it out without a revolt
Introduce the criteria in one pipeline review, then apply them gently for two weeks. Deals that don't meet the criteria move back a stage. The pipeline will look smaller on paper. It will also be far more honest, and your forecast will immediately become more useful.
Revisit quarterly
Look at where deals stall and where they die. If most losses happen after Proposal, your Discovery criteria are probably too loose. Exit criteria are a living tool, not a one-time policy.
We start by understanding where revenue is stuck, then scope the work to fit.
