A CRM pipeline for final expense agents: the stages that actually get used

Most CRM pipelines are built by software people and abandoned by agents in week two. Here's the stage list that survives on the floor, with the one rule that keeps it honest.

The rule. A stage exists only if something different happens in it. If two stages get the same follow-up action, merge them.

Stages.

1. New. Lead just arrived. Action: dial within five minutes if it's a web lead, within the day if it's a mailer.
2. Attempting. Dialed at least once, no conversation. Action: a cadence of six to eight attempts over ten days at different times, with one text and one voicemail.
3. Contacted. Spoke to the person. Action: either set an appointment, take the health questions, or disposition out.
4. Appointment set. Date and time on the calendar. Action: confirmation text the day before, callback if they don't confirm.
5. Presented. Health questions done, options shown. Action: close, or a scheduled second call with a time.
6. App submitted. In underwriting. Action: check-in call on a set date, and a note on which carrier and what was disclosed.
7. Issued. Policy in force. Action: call after the first draft. Then a month-11 call.
8. Lost / not now. With a reason code. Action: aged-lead campaign in 90 days if the reason was "not now."

Why not more stages. "Left voicemail" is a disposition inside Attempting, not a stage. "Needs paramed" is a note inside App submitted. Stages should be countable on one hand plus a thumb.

What the numbers tell you. New to Contacted is your contact rate. Presented to App submitted is your close rate. Issued to still-in-force at 13 months is your persistency. If any one of those is bad, the fix is different for each.

How many stages does your pipeline have, and which one is a graveyard?