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GHL Prospecting Pipeline SOP

Document Purpose​

This SOP defines the Prospecting Pipeline -- a 4-stage pre-sales pipeline that manages prospects from audit completion through outreach to qualification. This pipeline sits upstream of the existing Sales Pipeline and feeds qualified prospects into Sales Pipeline Stage 1 (New Lead).

The Prospecting Pipeline handles cold outreach. The Sales Pipeline handles warm leads. The handoff between them is defined in this document.

Pipeline Architecture​

Pipeline Overview​

StageNameEntry TriggerKey ActivitiesExit Criteria
1Report ReadyAudit verified, contact identified, quality checklist passedReview findings, select email template, verify contact infoFirst email sent
2Outreach SentCold intro email sent via Lead ConnectorMonitor for opens/replies, send follow-ups on cadenceResponse received OR follow-up cadence exhausted (Day 7)
3RespondedProspect replies to any outreach emailAssess interest level, answer questions, propose demoQualified (move to Sales Pipeline) or Not Interested (Stage 4)
4Not Ready NowNo response after full cadence, or explicit deferralTag for re-engagement, set 60-90 day reminderRe-engagement attempt or close as lost

Stage Definitions​

Stage 1: Report Ready​

Entry trigger: The prospect's audit report has passed the quality checklist and a real contact person has been identified. If the contact's email is not yet known, follow the Prospect Email Discovery SOP before proceeding.

Activities:

  1. Review the audit report and identify the 1-2 strongest findings for personalization
  2. Select the appropriate cold intro email template (see Template Selection Guide)
  3. Verify the contact record has first_name and company_name populated
  4. Verify the contact's email address is valid (not a generic info@ or noreply@)
  5. Draft the personalized email using the selected template

Exit criteria: First cold intro email sent via Lead Connector. Opportunity moves to Stage 2.

Automation opportunities:

  • Auto-notify team via Slack when a new prospect enters Stage 1
  • Auto-assign to team member based on round-robin or territory

Maximum time in stage: 3 business days. If the email hasn't been sent within 3 days, the prospect is going stale.

Stage 2: Outreach Sent​

Entry trigger: Cold intro email (Template 1, 2, or 3) has been sent.

Activities:

  1. Monitor for opens (logged automatically by Lead Connector)
  2. Monitor for replies (appear in GHL Conversations)
  3. Send Follow-Up 1 (Template 4) on Day 3 if no response
  4. Send Follow-Up 2 (Template 5) on Day 7 if no response
  5. Log all activity on the Opportunity record

Exit criteria (choose one):

  • Prospect replies --> Move to Stage 3 (Responded)
  • Prospect books a demo --> Move to Stage 3 (Responded), then immediately to Sales Pipeline
  • Day 7 follow-up sent, no response after 48 hours --> Move to Stage 4 (Not Ready Now)
  • Prospect unsubscribes --> Close as Lost (do not move to Stage 4)

Outreach cadence:

DayActionTemplate
0Send cold introTemplate 1, 2, or 3
3Send follow-up 1 (if no response)Template 4
7Send follow-up 2 / final touch (if no response)Template 5
9If still no response, move to Stage 4--

Automation opportunities:

  • Auto-send Follow-Up 1 on Day 3 (GHL workflow with wait step)
  • Auto-send Follow-Up 2 on Day 7 (GHL workflow with wait step)
  • Auto-move to Stage 4 on Day 9 if no reply

Stage 3: Responded​

Entry trigger: Prospect replies to any outreach email or books a demo directly.

Activities:

  1. Read the response carefully -- categorize as interested, questioning, or not interested
  2. If interested or questioning: respond within 4 business hours with answers and the booking link
  3. If the prospect asks about pricing or services: answer briefly, then redirect to a demo call
  4. If the prospect says "not now" or "not interested": acknowledge, do not push, move to Stage 4
  5. If the prospect books a demo: initiate handoff to Sales Pipeline

Exit criteria (choose one):

  • Qualified (wants to learn more, books or agrees to a demo) --> Handoff to Sales Pipeline Stage 1
  • Not interested (explicit decline or "not now") --> Move to Stage 4 (Not Ready Now)

Automation opportunities:

  • Auto-notify team via Slack when a reply is received
  • Auto-tag contact with "Prospecting - Responded"

Maximum time in stage: 5 business days. If no qualification decision has been made within 5 days, follow up one more time. If still no clarity, move to Stage 4.

Stage 4: Not Ready Now​

Entry trigger: Non-response after the full outreach cadence, or explicit deferral ("not right now," "check back later").

Activities:

  1. Add tag: prospecting-not-ready-now
  2. Set a reminder for 60-90 days in the future
  3. Log the reason for deferral on the Opportunity record (no response / explicit deferral / timing)
  4. Do not send any further emails until the re-engagement window

Re-engagement process (Day 60-90):

  1. Refresh the audit report (see Audit Accuracy SOP)
  2. Review refreshed report for changes or new findings
  3. Send Re-Engagement email (Template 6) via Lead Connector
  4. Move Opportunity back to Stage 2 (Outreach Sent)
  5. If no response after re-engagement cadence: Close as Lost

Exit criteria (choose one):

  • Re-engagement attempt --> Move back to Stage 2
  • Second non-response (after re-engagement) --> Close as Lost
  • Prospect responds to re-engagement --> Move to Stage 3

Maximum re-engagement attempts: 1. After one re-engagement attempt with no response, close the Opportunity as Lost. Do not continue to re-engage.

Handoff to Sales Pipeline​

When a prospect is qualified (Stage 3 exit), the handoff to the Sales Pipeline occurs:

Handoff Steps​

  1. Create a new Opportunity in the Sales Pipeline at Stage 1 (New Lead)
  2. Copy key information from the Prospecting Opportunity to the new Sales Opportunity:
    • Contact record (already exists -- link to the same contact)
    • Source: "Prospecting" (preserve for ROI tracking)
    • Notes: Key audit findings and any context from the email exchange
  3. Mark the Prospecting Opportunity as Won (the prospect was successfully qualified)
  4. Proceed with Sales Pipeline procedures as defined in the Sales Pipeline SOP

What Does NOT Transfer​

  • The audit report itself (it lives on the contact record, accessible from either Opportunity)
  • Email thread history (lives in GHL Conversations, accessible from the contact record)

Email Template Selection Guide​

Quick reference for which email template to use at each stage. See Prospecting Outreach Email Templates for full template text.

Pipeline StageScenarioTemplate
Stage 1 --> 2General audit findings (2+ areas)Template 1: Cold Intro -- General Pain Points
Stage 1 --> 2Website score below 60%Template 2: Website Performance Focus
Stage 1 --> 2Low reviews or poor response rateTemplate 3: Reputation / Reviews Focus
Stage 2Day 3, no responseTemplate 4: Follow-Up 1
Stage 2Day 7, no responseTemplate 5: Follow-Up 2 / Final Touch
Stage 4Day 60-90 re-engagementTemplate 6: Re-Engagement
Stage 3Prospect replied with questionsNo template -- respond conversationally, include booking link

GHL Pipeline Configuration​

Pipeline Settings​

SettingValue
Pipeline NameProspecting Pipeline
Sub-AccountSymphony Core LLC (vOyZYmChRuyjFM0yUtba)
Pipeline StagesReport Ready, Outreach Sent, Responded, Not Ready Now
Default StageReport Ready
Opportunity SourceProspecting (auto-set by GHL when added from Prospecting tab)

Custom Fields on Opportunity​

Field NameTypePurpose
Audit DateDateDate the audit report was generated or last refreshed
Cold Intro Template UsedDropdown (1/2/3)Which cold intro template was sent
Contact Identified ViaDropdown (Website/LinkedIn/GBP/Directory/GHL Enrichment/Third-Party Tool)How the contact person was found (see Prospect Email Discovery SOP for tier definitions)
Re-Engagement CountNumberNumber of re-engagement attempts (max 1)
Deferral ReasonTextWhy the prospect moved to Stage 4

Tags​

TagApplied When
prospecting-report-readyOpportunity enters Stage 1
prospecting-outreach-sentFirst email sent
prospecting-respondedProspect replies
prospecting-not-ready-nowMoves to Stage 4
prospecting-qualifiedHandoff to Sales Pipeline
prospecting-lostClosed as Lost

Outreach Cadence Summary​

Day 0:   Cold intro email (Template 1, 2, or 3)
          |
Day 3:   Follow-Up 1 (Template 4) -- if no response
          |
Day 7:   Follow-Up 2 / Final Touch (Template 5) -- if no response
          |
Day 9:   Move to Stage 4 (Not Ready Now) -- if no response
          |
Day 60-90: Re-Engagement (Template 6) -- refresh report first
          |
Day 63-93: Follow standard cadence again from re-engagement
          |
          If still no response: Close as Lost

KPIs and Success Metrics​

MetricTargetMeasurement
Reports generated per week10-20Count of new Prospecting Opportunities created
Reports passing quality checklist80%+Opportunities that move from audit to Stage 1
Cold intro send rate90%+ of Stage 1Opportunities that advance from Stage 1 to Stage 2 within 3 days
Open rate40%+Lead Connector email analytics
Reply rate5-10%Opportunities reaching Stage 3 / total Stage 2
Qualification rate30%+ of respondentsStage 3 exits to Sales Pipeline / total Stage 3
Demo booked rate2-5% of total outreachBooking page analytics
Pipeline velocityAverage days from Stage 1 to qualifiedGHL pipeline reporting
Re-engagement response rate3-5%Template 6 replies / re-engagement sends

Reporting Cadence​

  • Weekly: Review pipeline counts by stage, send volume, and response rate
  • Monthly: Review qualification rate, demo booked rate, and pipeline velocity
  • Quarterly: Assess ROI of prospecting subscription ($29/month) vs. pipeline value generated

Document History​

VersionDateChanges
1.02026-03-02Initial version -- 4-stage prospecting pipeline, handoff to sales pipeline, GHL configuration, KPIs

Document Information

  • Version: 1.0
  • Created: 2026-03-02
  • Updated: 2026-03-02
  • Location: 04-operations/sops/sales-pipeline/ghl-prospecting-pipeline-sop.md