Moving Clients Through Your Pipeline

As your client relationships progress, you’ll move them through different pipeline stages to reflect their current status. Nizam makes this quick and easy—you can update a client’s stage without leaving your client list.

Quick Update from the Client List

The fastest way to update a client’s pipeline stage:

Find the client in your client list
Click on their current pipeline stage badge (the colored label)
A menu appears showing all available stages
Click the new stage
The client’s stage updates immediately

That’s it! No forms to fill out, no need to open the client detail page.

Understanding Stage Changes

Immediate Effect:
When you change a client’s stage, the update applies immediately across your workspace:

The client list shows the new stage
Dashboard charts update to reflect the change
Any filtering by stage will update

No Automatic Tracking:
Nizam doesn’t automatically track stage history or how long a client spent in each stage. If you want to document stage changes and reasons, use client notes.

When to Move Clients

Here are common scenarios for updating pipeline stages:

Lead → Qualified
After initial contact and determining they’re a good fit for your services.

Qualified → Proposal Sent
When you send a proposal or quote for their project.

Proposal Sent → Negotiating
If there’s back-and-forth discussion about scope, pricing, or terms.

Negotiating → Active Client
When they accept your proposal and become an active client.

Active Client → Completed
When the project or contract completes.

Any Stage → On Hold
If the client needs to pause or delay the work.

Your actual stage names and progression will depend on how you’ve customized your pipeline.

Updating Multiple Clients

Currently, you need to update each client’s stage individually. This ensures accuracy and prevents accidental changes.

If you find yourself updating many clients at once, consider:

Whether your pipeline stages match your actual workflow
Creating a stage that better represents the common status
Using filters to focus on clients in specific stages

Visual Feedback

When you click a stage badge in the client list:

The menu shows all available stages
Each stage displays in its assigned color
The current stage is indicated
Hover over a stage to see it highlighted

After selecting a new stage, you’ll see a quick confirmation and the badge updates to the new color and label.

Best Practices for Stage Management

✅ Update stages promptly: Keep your pipeline current so it accurately reflects reality. Update stages as soon as something changes.

✅ Document important changes: When moving to a significant stage (like “Proposal Sent” or “Active Client”), add a note explaining the context.

✅ Review your pipeline weekly: Set aside time to review your client list and update any outdated stages.

✅ Use stages for prioritization: Filter your client list by stage to focus on who needs immediate attention.

Common Questions

What if I move a client to the wrong stage by accident?
Simply click the stage badge again and select the correct stage. There’s no harm in changing stages multiple times.

Can I see a history of stage changes?
No, Nizam doesn’t currently track stage change history. Use client notes to document important milestones if you need a record.

Do I have to move clients through stages in order?
No. You can move a client to any stage at any time. Your pipeline doesn’t enforce a linear progression.

Will changing a stage affect invoices or projects?
No. Pipeline stages are for organization and tracking only. They don’t affect any related records or documents.

Can other team members see when I change a client’s stage?
Team members will see the updated stage in the client list and on dashboards, but they won’t receive a notification about the change.

Using Stages for Workflow

Focus on What’s Next:
Filter your client list to show only “Proposal Sent” to see who you’re waiting to hear back from.

Track Conversion:
Use your pipeline chart to understand how many leads are converting to active clients.

Identify Bottlenecks:
If many clients pile up in one stage, it might indicate a bottleneck in your process that needs attention.

Plan Follow-Ups:
Create a routine: Monday morning, review clients in “Lead” stage and plan outreach. Wednesday afternoon, check “Proposal Sent” for follow-ups.

Bulk Stage Updates

While you can’t select multiple clients and change their stages at once, you can:

Update stages quickly one by one from the list view
Use filtering to focus on clients that likely need the same stage update
Click through efficiently without opening each client’s detail page

The inline stage picker makes individual updates fast enough that bulk updates are rarely necessary.