Help CenterPurpose
Account Stages define the current phase of an Account within the organization’s commercial relationship lifecycle.
This parametrization helps sales teams distinguish prospective, developing, active, inactive, or former Accounts and apply the appropriate commercial actions at each stage.
Access Path
Control Center → Sales Management → Account → Account Stages
Overview
An Account Stage represents the current maturity or lifecycle phase of the commercial relationship between the organization and an Account.
Depending on the organization’s commercial process, illustrative stages could include:
- Prospect
- Onboarding
- Active
- Dormant
- Former Customer
Once configured, these values become available in the Account Stage field of the Account’s Segmentation tab.
Account Stage can be used together with other segmentation attributes, including:
- Market Position
- Relationship Health
- Price Leverage
- Price Sensitivity
- Upsell Potential
- Account Tier
Together, these classifications provide a structured view of the Account’s current status, strategic importance, commercial behaviour, and growth potential.
Account Stages Landing Page
The landing page displays the Account Stages configured for the organization.
Available Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Name used to identify the Account Stage. |
| Company | Company for which the Account Stage is available. |
Available Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Add | Creates a new Account Stage. |
| Refresh | Reloads the information displayed on the page. |
| Include Deleted | Displays records that were previously deleted. |
| Export | Exports the displayed information. |
| Columns | Defines which columns are visible on the landing page. |
| View | Opens the selected Account Stage. |
| More options (…) | Provides additional actions for the selected record, when available. |
Creating an Account Stage
To create an Account Stage:
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Navigate to Control Center → Sales Management → Account → Account Stages.
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Select Add.
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Complete the required information.
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Select Save or Save and New.
Field Descriptions
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Name of the Account Stage displayed in the Account’s segmentation options. |
| Company | Company in which the Account Stage will be available. |
Available Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Save | Saves the Account Stage and closes the creation page. |
| Save and New | Saves the current Account Stage and opens a new blank record. |
| Cancel | Discards the information entered and returns to the landing page. |
Updating an Account Stage
To update an existing Account Stage:
- Open the Account Stages landing page.
- Locate the required record.
- Select View.
- Update the relevant information.
- Save the changes.
Changes to the name may affect how the Account Stage is displayed in existing Account records and reports.
Where the Configuration Is Used
Configured Account Stages are available through:
Sales Management → Accounts → Open an Account → Segmentation → Account Stage
The selected value identifies the Account’s current phase within the commercial relationship lifecycle.
Business Examples
The following examples are illustrative and should be adapted to the organization’s commercial process.
| Account Stage | Possible Business Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Prospect | An organization with which a commercial relationship has not yet been established. |
| Onboarding | A new customer whose initial setup, contracting, implementation, or service activation is underway. |
| Active | An Account with a current and ongoing commercial relationship. |
| Dormant | An Account with no recent commercial activity but which may still be reactivated. |
| Former Customer | An Account whose previous commercial relationship with the organization has ended. |
Typical Account Lifecycle
A possible Account lifecycle could follow this sequence:
Prospect → Onboarding → Active → Dormant → Former Customer
The actual progression depends on the organization’s commercial model. An Account may not necessarily pass through every configured stage.
For example:
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A dormant Account may return directly to Active.
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A prospect that does not progress may remain a Prospect or be reclassified according to internal rules.
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A former customer may become active again if a new commercial relationship is established.
Business Use
Account Stages can support:
- Classification of Accounts by lifecycle phase.
- Identification of prospects and active customers.
- Management of Account onboarding.
- Detection of inactive or dormant Accounts.
- Preparation of customer reactivation campaigns.
- Definition of stage-specific commercial activities.
- Portfolio analysis and reporting.
- Prioritization of sales and account-management actions.
- Tracking of changes in commercial relationships.
For example, an Account in the Onboarding stage may require implementation follow-up, while a Dormant Account may require a re-engagement activity.
Account Stage vs. Account Tier
Account Stage and Account Tier represent different segmentation dimensions.
| Configuration | What It Represents |
|---|---|
| Account Stage | The current phase of the commercial relationship. |
| Account Tier | The Account’s commercial or strategic importance to the organization. |
An Account may therefore be:
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An Active Tier 1 Account.
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A Dormant Tier 2 Account.
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A Prospect Tier 3 Account.
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A Former Customer with high reactivation potential.
Account Stage vs. Relationship Health
These classifications should also be used independently.
| Configuration | What It Represents |
|---|---|
| Account Stage | Where the Account is in its commercial lifecycle. |
| Relationship Health | The current quality or condition of the relationship. |
For example, an Account may be Active while its relationship health is classified as At Risk.
Configuration Recommendations
When defining Account Stages:
- Align the stages with the organization’s Account lifecycle.
- Use clear and action-oriented names.
- Define the criteria for entering and leaving each stage.
- Keep the number of stages manageable.
- Avoid stages with overlapping meanings.
- Define the expected activities for each stage.
- Ensure that sales teams apply the classifications consistently.
- Review the Account Stage whenever the commercial relationship changes.
- Avoid using Account Stages as substitutes for Opportunity Pipeline stages.
Important Notes
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Account Stages must be configured before they can be selected in an Account record.
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Availability may depend on the Company assigned to the configuration.
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Account Stages classify Accounts, not individual Opportunities.
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Updating an Account Stage does not necessarily update the status or pipeline stage of related Opportunities, Proposals, or Subscriptions.
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Stage changes should reflect meaningful developments in the overall Account relationship.
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Before deleting an Account Stage, verify whether it is assigned to existing Accounts.
Related Articles
Control Center – Sales Management – Account Parametrization
Control Center – Sales Management – Market Positions
Control Center – Sales Management – Relationship Health Types
Control Center – Sales Management – Price Leverages
Control Center – Sales Management – Price Sensitivities
Control Center – Sales Management – Upsell Potentials
Control Center – Sales Management – Account Tiers
Sales Management – Accounts