In a world where 68% of B2B companies struggle with customer relationships due to poor communication, customizing HubSpot deal stages right isn’t just important—it’s necessary. As we all know, HubSpot’s visual sales pipeline isn’t just a tool; it’s your roadmap to predict revenue and track where opportunities are in real time.

But here’s the thing: your business isn’t like anyone else’s, so why should your deal stages be generic? Think of a SaaS company versus a real estate firm. One focuses on trial sign-ups and subscription renewals, while the other juggles property showings and closing deals. HubSpot lets you customize these stages, so they reflect your unique rhythm and sales process.

The payoff? A streamlined process, sharper reporting, and happier customers. Teams can anticipate sales outcomes more effectively, improve customer engagement through personalized experiences, and reduce deal cycle times. So, let’s talk about the customization now.

Understanding HubSpot Deal Stages 

Deal stages are like signposts in your sales process—they track progress, guide your team, and highlight where opportunities stand in the sales funnel. Think of them as milestones on a journey, leading a deal from initial contact to the final handshake. HubSpot’s deal stages make this process visible, offering clarity and focus.

HubSpot’s default deal stages—such as “Appointment Scheduled,” “Qualified to Buy,” and “Closed Won”—offer a solid starting point. But as Emily Rivera from the HubSpot Community highlights, not every business fits this mould. For example, a 20% probability for “Appointment Scheduled” may feel out of sync for companies that only create deals after a meeting is qualified.

This happens because HubSpot’s defaults can’t account for every business’s unique rhythm. Industries like B2B e-commerce deal with longer cycles involving quotes and negotiations. Customizing these stages to mirror your workflow ensures accurate data, better forecasting, and actionable insights. In short, HubSpot’s defaults are a framework, but tailoring them to your needs is how you unlock their true potential.

Read more about HubSpot CRM on articles: HubSpot CRM Review: The All-in-One Solution for Business Growth

Assessing Your Business Model and Sales Process

Start by breaking down every step your prospects take, from first contact to closing the deal. Document key actions like lead qualification, follow-ups, and negotiations. Ask yourself: Which steps are critical, and where do bottlenecks slow things down? Visualizing this process, as Kyle Jepson from HubSpot suggests, can help uncover inefficiencies by organizing it into two rows—one for your actions, one for the buyer’s.

Next, identify pain points in your deal stages. Are deals getting stuck or delayed? Are there unnecessary steps that don’t add value? For instance, if your team spends too much time on manual tasks like scheduling, consider automating or skipping these for certain deals. The goal is to streamline, not overcomplicate.

Finally, map your sales journey to deal stages. Each stage should reflect a meaningful milestone in the buyer’s journey. For B2B e-commerce, aligning stages with Shopify store statuses—like mapping “Pending Payment” to “Invoice Sent” in HubSpot—ensures clarity and consistency. This eliminates ambiguity, keeps your team focused, and improves efficiency across the board.

Steps to Customize Deal Stages in HubSpot CRM

Accessing Deal Stage Settings

Customizing deal stages in HubSpot CRM is simpler than you think. Follow these steps to access the settings and start tailoring your sales funnel:

• Log into HubSpot: Begin by logging into your HubSpot account. Click the Settings icon (the gear symbol) in the top navigation bar.
• Navigate to Deals: In the left-hand sidebar menu, click on Objects > Deals.
• Select Your Pipeline: Open the Pipelines tab and choose the pipeline you want to customize from the dropdown menu.

Whether you’re adding new stages, tweaking existing ones, or reimagining your sales process, this is the starting point to make your sales funnel work smarter for your team.

Read more about HubSpot sales process on article: Best Practices for Creating a Sales Process with HubSpot CRM

Adding, Editing, or Removing Deal Stages

Customizing deal stages in HubSpot CRM is all about making your sales process crystal clear. Here’s how to manage your deal stages effortlessly:

To Add a Deal Stage

• Click + Add Stage at the bottom of the current stage list.
• Give the stage a name that’s clear and action-oriented, like “Proposal Sent” or “Negotiation Started.”
• Assign a probability percentage that reflects the chance of closing a deal at this stage. For example, “Proposal Sent” might have a 60% probability.

To Edit a Deal Stage

• Click the stage name to update the text.
• Adjust the probability if necessary to reflect changes in your sales workflow.

To Remove a Deal Stage

• Hover over the stage you want to delete and click Delete.
• Reassign any deals in that stage to avoid losing critical data.

When customizing, keep naming conventions simple and intuitive for your team. Terms like “Demo Completed” or “Quote Delivered” make it easier for everyone to stay aligned. Accurate probabilities and clear labels not only improve forecasting but also help your team focus on the right deals at the right time. Think of this as fine-tuning your sales engine for peak performance.

Aligning Custom Deal Stages with Sales Goals

Custom deal stages should act as guideposts for achieving your sales goals. Start by identifying what success looks like in your process. For instance, if your goal is to shorten deal cycles, add specific stages like “Demo Scheduled” or “Quote Delivered” to track progress and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Let data drive your decisions. For example, if 28% of deals stall during negotiation, create a dedicated stage like “Negotiation in Progress.” This not only makes bottlenecks visible but also encourages focused strategies to overcome them. Think of it as turning roadblocks into opportunities for growth.

For industries like eCommerce, aligning deal stages with platform workflows is a game-changer. Syncing Shopify’s “Pending Payment” status with HubSpot’s “Invoice Sent” stage keeps your pipeline consistent and easy to follow. The result? Clearer processes, improved team alignment, and a smoother journey from lead to close.

Read more about HubSpot lead tracking through article: HubSpot Lead Tracking: How To Make Sure You’re Not Losing Another Lead

Testing and Optimizing Custom Deal Stages

Once your custom HubSpot deal stages are in place, it’s time to make sure they’re delivering results. Start by monitoring how deals move through your pipeline. Analyze data like conversion rates and time spent in each stage. If deals linger too long in “Negotiation in Progress,” for example, it might signal a bottleneck that needs attention.

Feedback from your sales team is invaluable. Sales reps are on the front lines and can identify redundant or confusing stages. Host regular check-ins to gather their insights and discuss potential improvements. As Kyle Jepson from HubSpot suggests, involving your team ensures smoother adoption and practical tweaks.

As you can see, optimization and customizing deal stages in HubSpot CRM isn’t a one-time task—it’s a cycle of reviewing, tweaking, and improving to keep your pipeline performing at its best. Therefore, there are several metrics you should track to evaluate the effectiveness of your deal stages. Pay attention to conversion rates, time spent in each stage, and deal probability. Conversion rates reveal how well deals transition, while time spent in each stage highlights potential slow points. The goal is you really need to use that historical data to adjust deal probabilities for more accurate forecasts.

Common Challenges of Customizing Deal Stages in HubSpot CRM and How to Overcome Them

Even with great planning, implementing custom HubSpot deal stages can come with challenges. Addressing potential issues like team adoption and misaligned stages is crucial for a smooth and effective process.

One common hurdle is ensuring your sales team consistently uses the new stages. If they find the stages unclear or unnecessary, they may default to old habits. Another challenge arises when stages don’t reflect the reality of your sales process. For example, if a “Discovery Call Completed” stage often leads to stalled deals, it’s a sign that something needs adjustment.

Let’s say your sales reps might feel stuck because they’re unsure of the next steps or lack the right resources. A practical fix would be to automate a task prompting the rep to send a follow-up email or schedule a demo. This keeps the deal moving while minimizing delays. According to HubSpot’s Sales Trends Report, sales reps spend only 33% of their time actively selling. Streamlining stages like these can reclaim wasted time and refocus efforts on closing deals.

How Nexalab Helps You in HubSpot Integration and Boosting Sales

Imagine knowing exactly where your prospects are in their journey—and having the tools to guide them towards a sale. That’s what Nexalab brings to the table. By seamlessly integrating HubSpot CRM with essential business tools like email marketing platforms, e-commerce solutions, and sales analytics, Nexalab eliminates data silos and gives you a complete, 360-degree view of your customers. With this clarity, you can easily pinpoint high-converting touchpoints and adjust strategies for better outcomes.

Here’s the reality: visualizing the buyer’s journey isn’t optional anymore—it’s your ticket to driving customer engagement and measurable growth. With Nexalab, you can automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and boost productivity. Even better, this alignment between your marketing and sales teams ensures every effort contributes to your bottom line.

Why wait? The first step is simple. Let Nexalab and HubSpot CRM show you how to engage smarter, build trust faster, and grow stronger. Your optimized buyer’s journey starts here.

In Closing

While challenges like team adoption or misaligned stages can happen, the right approach—driven by data and regular feedback—keeps you on the path to success. Tools like Nexalab’s Octobits make optimizing your CRM not only straightforward but also an opportunity to streamline your workflows and protect your valuable data.

Customizing HubSpot deal stages isn’t just another task—it’s your gateway to unlocking greater sales potential. By tailoring your pipeline to align with your business’s unique rhythm, you give your team the clarity, efficiency, and actionable insights they need to thrive.

Article Sources

At Nexalab, we rely on trusted primary sources to guide our work. This includes white papers, government data, expert interviews, and original reporting. Where needed, we also incorporate research from other reputable publishers to ensure accuracy and credibility in everything we deliver.

• Jepson, K. (2021, December 2). How to Design Your Sales Process in HubSpot CRM. HubSpot. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/customers/how-to-design-your-sales-process-in-hubspot-crm
• HubSpot. (2024). Sales Trends Report. HubSpot. Retrieved from https://offers.hubspot.com/sales-trends-report
• HubSpot. (2024, November 28). Set up and customize your deal pipelines and deal stages. HubSpot. Retrieved from https://knowledge.hubspot.com/object-settings/set-up-and-customize-your-deal-pipelines-and-deal-stages
• Rivera, E., & Moniz, M. (2024, October 23). Deal Stages, in the context of Lead Status and Lifecycle Stages. HubSpot Community. Retrieved from https://community.hubspot.com/t5/CRM/Deal-Stages-in-the-context-of-Lead-Status-and-Lifecycle-Stages/m-p/1059504