This should be done weekly.
The goal: ensure every Opportunity reflects reality.
Step 1: Audit Stage by Stage
Open your pipeline view.
For each stage, ask:
New Lead
Are there leads older than 48 hours?
If yes, outreach failed.
Contacting
Are there contacts here longer than your follow-up cadence?
If yes, automation or discipline issue.
Engaging
Are there candidates here without a booked call?
If yes, schedule or move backward.
Intro Call Scheduled
Are there completed calls still sitting here?
If yes, stage not updated.
Intro Call No Show
Are serious candidates stuck here?
If yes, move appropriately.
Reading Your Prospects
Is qualification complete for all candidates here?
If not, interview missing data.
Pre-Registration & Matching
Are recommendations actually being built?
Or is this being used as a holding stage?
Franchise Presentations
Have presentations actually occurred?
If yes and interest confirmed, move to Introductions.
Candidate Introductions
Are franchisor calls happening?
If validation started, move to Coaching.
Coaching Process
Are they actively validating?
If brand selected, move to Legal & Placement.
If stalled, move to Long-Term Nurture.
Legal & Placement
Is agreement signed?
If not progressing, why?
Long-Term Nurture
Are these truly nurture candidates or lost leads?
Are automations running?
Step 2: Check for Stage Inflation
Stage inflation happens when:
Candidates are kept in Coaching too long
Legal & Placement used too early
Reading Your Prospects skipped
Long-Term Nurture avoided
If your Coaching stage is huge, you likely aren’t enforcing movement discipline.
Step 3: Check Time-in-Stage
Ask:
How long is average time in each stage?
Where are candidates stalling?
Are bottlenecks predictable?
Example:
If candidates sit in Matching for 3 weeks → your research process needs structure.
Step 4: Verify FranTracker Alignment
For stages 6–11:
Does FranTracker status match pipeline stage?
Are brand introductions properly reflected?
Are placements marked accurately?
If systems disagree, fix immediately.
FranTracker = official placement record
FranFlow = operational engine
They must stay aligned.
Weekly Pipeline Audit Checklist
✔ Every Opportunity is in the correct stage
✔ No completed calls sitting in Scheduled
✔ No unqualified candidates in Matching
✔ No “hopeful” candidates in Legal
✔ Long-Term Nurture is being used intentionally
✔ FranTracker stages match pipeline stages
Why Auditing Matters
Without audits:
Automation breaks
Reporting lies
Forecasting becomes unreliable
Conversion metrics become meaningless
Placement predictions fail
Clean pipeline = predictable business.