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Journey stage: Follow Up → 🤖 AI-Powered CRM Intermediate

The Aheri Sales System: From Enquiry to Sale

One clear path from the first enquiry to a yes or a no. Every lead has an owner and a next step, follow-ups happen on time, and you can see where sales slip away.

Setup time

1.5 to 4.5 hours

Faster if experienced, longer if new to the tools

Monthly cost

Free to $12/mo

Software only, plus any card fees

The Aheri Sales System: From Enquiry to Sale - trigger logic and autonomous agent workflow diagram

Automation & AI Workflow Map

Event triggers, multi-step scenario routing, and autonomous agent task execution

View workflow steps ↓
LinkedIn X WhatsApp

System Summary

The Problem

Most growing businesses do not lose sales because the product is wrong. They lose them between the enquiry and the yes. A form sits in an inbox. A WhatsApp message gets a reply two days late. A quote goes out and nobody follows up. Nobody knows who owns which lead, so everyone assumes someone else called.

The System

The Aheri Sales System gives every enquiry one home, one owner and one next step. Leads come into a single Bigin pipeline with 9 clear stages. Simple rules say when a deal can move on. Automations send the first reply, create follow-up tasks and flag deals that go quiet. A short dashboard shows where sales leak, so you fix the right thing first.

Before You Start

  • → A Bigin account (the Free plan works for one person)
  • → A list of every place enquiries arrive today: forms, phone, WhatsApp, email, referrals
  • → One person who owns the setup and the weekly pipeline review
  • → Your current numbers, even rough ones: enquiries last month and sales last month

The 9 pipeline stages

Every enquiry moves through the same 9 stages. Each stage marks a point the buyer has reached, like proposal sent, not a task like sent an email. You can rename the stages to fit how you sell, but keep the rule for moving on.

  1. 1

    New Enquiry

    Someone asked about what you sell, by form, call, WhatsApp, email or referral.

    Move on when: Their contact details and where they came from are saved.

  2. 2

    Contact Attempted

    You tried to reach them but have not spoken yet.

    Move on when: You spoke to them, or the next try is booked with a date.

  3. 3

    Contacted

    You had a real conversation.

    Move on when: You know what they need and what happens next.

  4. 4

    Qualified

    They are a good fit and have a real need, budget and timeframe.

    Move on when: Their needs, budget range and decision date are saved.

  5. 5

    Sales Conversation

    The call, meeting, viewing, demo or consultation where you show how you can help.

    Move on when: You agreed on a solution and the next step.

  6. 6

    Proposal / Offer

    They have a written quote or proposal from you.

    Move on when: A decision date and a follow-up date are agreed.

  7. 7

    Decision

    They are deciding, comparing or asking for changes.

    Move on when: A clear yes or no, or a date to talk again.

  8. 8

    Closed Won

    They said yes.

    Move on when: The sale is saved with its value and the handoff to your team has started.

  9. 9

    Closed Lost

    They said no, or went quiet after every follow-up.

    Move on when: The reason is saved, and a date to check in again is set if it makes sense.

The pipeline rules

  • ✓Every open deal has one owner and one next step with a date.
  • ✓Arriving as an enquiry does not make someone qualified. They earn the Qualified stage.
  • ✓A deal only enters Proposal / Offer when a real quote or proposal has been sent.
  • ✓Your team agrees what counts as a sale before anyone moves a deal to Closed Won.
  • ✓Every Closed Lost deal has a reason. Those reasons tell you what to fix.
  • ✓Not ready yet is not a no. Give these people a check-in date or a nurture tag instead of closing them.

What to track

Track only what helps you sell. Start with these fields and add more when a real question needs one.

Who they are

So anyone on the team can call them back.

  • Name
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Best way to reach them
  • Company

Where they came from

Keep the first source separate, so you know which channels bring real sales.

  • Lead source
  • Campaign
  • Referred by

What they asked for

So the first call starts where they left off.

  • Enquiry date
  • Enquiry type
  • Product or service
  • Short summary

Are they a fit

So you spend time on people who can buy.

  • Need
  • Budget range
  • Decision date
  • Fit (yes / maybe / no)

Who owns it

One name per deal. Shared deals get dropped.

  • Owner
  • Date assigned

What happens next

The field that stops deals going quiet.

  • Last contact
  • Next action
  • Next action date

The offer

So you follow up before the offer goes cold.

  • Amount
  • Proposal sent date
  • Offer expiry

The result

Your sales numbers come from here.

  • Won or lost
  • Date closed
  • Final value
  • Loss reason

On Bigin Free you get 5 custom fields per pipeline. Use them for Lead source, Enquiry type, Next action date, Proposal sent date and Loss reason. Name, phone, email, owner, amount and closing date are already there.

Choose your version

Same system, different tools and budgets. Pick the one that fits your team, and the tools, steps and costs below change with it.

Free version: why this one

Costs nothing and teaches the full method. You run 3 automations and do the rest by hand with a next action date on every deal.

Best if you sell on your own. Every enquiry lands in one list, gets an instant reply, and has a clear next step until it ends in a yes or a no. Costs nothing.

Tools in this system

The exact tools this build runs on. Each one links to its full review, and where we are an affiliate the link supports our free guides.

zoho-bigin

zoho-bigin

Pipeline, records and automations (Free)

Free →

How the system works

How the tools connect and hand off to each other, step by step. Follow them in order, and each one links to the tool that does the work.

1

Capture: every enquiry lands in one pipeline

Your Bigin web form creates a deal in New Enquiry. Calls, WhatsApp and walk-ins get added the same way, with their Lead source.

  • › Embed the Bigin web form on your contact page
  • › Add phone and WhatsApp enquiries by hand from the Bigin app
  • › Fill in Lead source on every deal
🔧 zoho-bigin
2

Follow Up: an owner and a next step for every deal

The enquirer gets a reply, the owner gets an alert, and each deal moves through Contacted, Qualified and Sales Conversation with a next action date.

  • › Automation A emails the enquirer and alerts you
  • › Set a Next action date on every deal you touch
  • › Sort the pipeline by Next action date every morning
🔧 zoho-bigin
3

Nurture: keep not-ready people warm

People who are not ready yet get a check-in date and a Nurture tag instead of a dead end.

  • › Closed Lost deals get the Nurture tag (automation F)
  • › Filter by the Nurture tag once a month and check in
🔧 zoho-bigin
4

Convert: proposal, decision and close

Proposals get a follow-up before they expire. Every deal ends as Closed Won with its value, or Closed Lost with a reason.

  • › Fill in Proposal sent date when you send a quote
  • › Close every deal as won or lost, with a Loss reason when lost
🔧 zoho-bigin
5

Measure: the Sales Health Dashboard

Six numbers each week show where sales leak, so you fix the biggest leak first.

  • › Use the standard dashboard for deals by stage and time in each stage
  • › Write down enquiries, sales and top loss reason every Friday
🔧 zoho-bigin

Before vs After

❌ Before

✅ After

New enquiries

Spread across inboxes, phones and WhatsApp chats

One pipeline, each with its source saved

Ownership

Everyone thinks someone else called back

One owner and one next step on every deal

Proposals

Sent, then forgotten until the client goes elsewhere

A follow-up date set the moment the proposal goes out

Lost deals

Nobody knows why sales were lost

Every lost deal has a reason you can count

How much time and money could this system save you?

This is a worked example, not a promise. Every business is different, so change the numbers below to match yours.

  • Copying enquiries from inbox and WhatsApp into a list

    15 a week. By hand 4 min each, with this system it happens automatically.

    1 hr back each week

  • Asking the team who followed up with whom

    5 a week. By hand 10 min each, with this system 1 min each.

    45 min back each week

  • Setting your own follow-up reminders

    15 a week. By hand 2 min each, with this system it happens automatically.

    30 min back each week

  • Putting together weekly sales numbers by hand

    1 a week. By hand 60 min each, with this system 5 min each.

    55 min back each week

In this example: about 3 hours back each week.

Each week

-

Each month

-

Each year

-

How we worked this out: minutes per task are our estimate of doing the job by hand versus with this system, based on the official product documentation. They are not measured results. A month here is 52 weeks divided by 12.

🪤

The catch: be aware

Bigin Free is for 1 user, 500 records, 1 pipeline, 5 custom fields and 3 automations. Automations cannot create tasks, and there are no scheduled or date-based rules, so follow-ups depend on you checking your pipeline every day.

Cost breakdown

Total monthly

Free

Every tool this system runs on and what it actually costs, added up to one real monthly total.

Tool / Service

Plan

Cost

Bigin

1 user, 500 records, 3 automations

Free

$0/mo

TOTAL

Free for one person

Free

$0/mo

Total

Free

The automation library

Six automations run the system. Use the ones your plan can run and your team needs. Each card shows what runs on each version, and what you do by hand where a plan cannot do it. Test every one with a sample enquiry before you rely on it.

A

New enquiry

When: A new deal is created in the New Enquiry stage (for example from your Bigin web form).

  • ›Sends the enquirer a short reply that says who will contact them
  • ›Alerts the owner by email
  • ›Assigns an owner and creates a call task (Budget and Growth)
Free: Yes, reply and alert (1 of your 3 rules)Budget: Yes, plus owner and call taskGrowth: Yes, plus duplicate cleanupAI Agent: Yes, plus Reply Assistant answers enquiries sent to your Email-In address

Test it: Fill in your own web form. Check that the reply, the alert and the task all arrive.

B

Response-time check

When: A set number of hours after a new enquiry arrives.

  • ›Reminds the owner to make first contact
  • ›Copies the manager so slow replies are seen
Free: By hand: check the New Enquiry column every morning and afternoonBudget: By hand: same check, twice a dayGrowth: Yes, a reminder sent a set time after the enquiry arrivesAI Agent: Yes, plus ask Claude through MCP which enquiries are still waiting

Test it: Create a test enquiry and leave it. Check the reminder arrives when you set it to.

C

Follow-up

When: A deal enters Contacted, Qualified or Sales Conversation.

  • ›Creates the next task for the owner
  • ›Fills in the next action date
Free: By hand: set a next action date on every dealBudget: Yes, runs when a deal enters the stageGrowth: Yes, plus a reminder when the next action date arrivesAI Agent: Yes, plus AI drafts each follow-up email for the owner to check

Test it: Move a test deal into each stage. Check a task appears with the right owner.

D

Proposal follow-up

When: A deal enters Proposal / Offer.

  • ›Saves the date the proposal was sent
  • ›Creates a task to follow up before the offer expires
Free: By hand: add a follow-up date when you send the proposalBudget: Yes, runs when a deal enters the stageGrowth: Yes, and the amount and date sent are required before the deal can moveAI Agent: Yes, plus AI summarises the deal before the follow-up call

Test it: Move a test deal to Proposal / Offer. Check the task and the saved date.

E

Stalled deal recovery

When: A deal's next action date has passed.

  • ›Tags the deal Stalled
  • ›Asks the owner to pick a next step, or close it with a reason
Free: By hand: weekly review of time in each stage on the dashboardBudget: By hand: weekly review on your custom dashboardGrowth: Yes, a rule that runs on the next action dateAI Agent: Yes, plus ask Claude through MCP to list stalled deals and suggest a next step

Test it: Give a test deal a next action date of yesterday. Check it gets tagged.

F

Close and handoff

When: A deal enters Closed Won or Closed Lost.

  • ›Won: tells the team and starts the handoff (invoice, booking or kickoff task)
  • ›Lost: saves the reason and tags the contact Nurture
Free: Yes, 2 rules: team alert on Won, Nurture tag on LostBudget: Yes, plus a handoff task and a Zoho Invoice or payment linkGrowth: Yes, and a loss reason is required before a deal can close as lostAI Agent: Yes, plus Churn Analyzer looks for patterns in lost deals

Test it: Close one test deal as won and one as lost. Check the alert, the task and the tag.

What Bigin does not do on its own: stop a follow-up when someone replies, send a report by email on a schedule, or share new enquiries in turn across a team. Where this system needs those, a person does them and the page says so.

Optional tools: keep what you already use

Bigin runs the whole system. Add another tool only when it fills a real gap, or when your team already uses it and does not want to switch. Every tool here is optional.

Booking calls and meetings

So a qualified lead can pick a time without back-and-forth.

Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 calendarStart hereWorks with Bigin: syncs your contacts and calendar.
Zoho CalendarWorks with Bigin.
CalendlySelf-booking links. Connects through Zapier.TidyCalLow-cost booking pages. Connects through Zapier.

Enquiry forms

Bigin web forms cover most teams. Use another form tool if you need logic or file uploads.

Bigin web formsStart hereBuilt in, on every plan.
Zoho FormsWorks with Bigin.
TallyConnects through Zapier.

Signing proposals

So a yes is in writing before work starts.

Zoho SignStart hereWorks with Bigin.

Emails to people not ready yet

For the Nurture part: a regular, useful email to your Nurture list.

Zoho CampaignsStart hereWorks with Bigin, free for paid Bigin users.
MailchimpWorks with Bigin.BrevoConnects through Zapier.

Invoices and payments after a sale

For the handoff in automation F.

Zoho InvoiceStart hereWorks with Bigin on Express and higher. Free.Zoho BooksWorks with Bigin, on a paid Bigin plan.
QuickBooks OnlineWorks with Bigin.
StripePayment links from Bigin on Express and higher.XeroConnects through Zapier.

Connecting other apps

Only when two tools must share data and no direct link exists.

Zoho FlowStart hereWorks with Bigin.ZapierWorks with Bigin.

The Sales Health Dashboard

Six numbers tell you if the system works. Write down where you start before you change anything, so you can see real progress later.

Enquiries

How many came in, and from which channel.

Response

How fast each enquiry got a first real reply.

Pipeline

Open deals in each stage, and their value.

Conversion

How many qualified deals became sales.

Follow-up

Overdue tasks and deals with no next step.

Outcomes

Won value, lost deals and the reasons.

Enquiries by channel

Count new deals by Lead source each week.

Time to first reply

Time between the enquiry and the first real conversation. Look at the typical case, not the best one.

Replied on time

Share of enquiries contacted within the time your team agreed.

Enquiry to qualified

Qualified deals divided by enquiries from the same month.

Qualified to sale

Closed Won deals divided by qualified deals from the same month.

Deals with no next step

Open deals with an empty or past Next action date. Aim for zero.

Proposals accepted

Closed Won divided by deals that reached Proposal / Offer.

Lost by reason

Count Closed Lost deals by Loss reason. The top reason is your next fix.

Standard dashboards are on every Bigin plan. Express and higher let you build your own charts and KPIs.

Implementation Support

Need help getting this system running?

This system is built to be set up without a consultant, and every step is on this page. If you want a hand, we can help you put it in place and walk your team through it.

Get implementation support → Build it yourself

Get this system as a PDF

A portable one-pager version of everything on this page: the tools, the steps, the costs. Downloads immediately, no waiting on an email.

Common Mistakes

✗

Naming stages after jobs, like "Sent email", so the pipeline shows busy work instead of progress.

✓

Name each stage after a point the buyer has reached, like "Proposal sent". Then one look tells you how close each deal is to a yes.

✗

Leaving deals with no next action date. Nobody chases them, and they go quiet without anyone noticing.

✓

Make a next action date part of every update. Each morning, sort the pipeline by that date and work from the top.

✗

Moving every enquiry straight to Qualified before anyone has spoken to them.

✓

A deal only reaches Qualified after a real conversation that confirms the need, the budget range and when they will decide.

✗

Closing lost deals with no reason, so the same leak repeats every month.

✓

Pick from a short list of loss reasons, like price, timing or went with someone else. Check the top reason once a month and fix that first.

✗

Adding 30 fields on day one. The team stops filling them in, and the data goes stale.

✓

Start with the fields in What to track. Add a new field only when a real question needs it.

✗

Telling the team an automation works before testing it.

✓

Send one test enquiry through your own form and walk it through every stage. Check each reply, task and tag before you go live.

Frequently asked questions

Related systems

Never Lose a Lead (Free) → Never Chase an Invoice Again (Free) → The Client Win-Back & Referral System (Free) →

References

  1. Bigin pricing and editions . Zoho
  2. Workflow rules in Bigin . Zoho
  3. FAQs about Bigin . Zoho
  4. Stage Transition Rules . Zoho
  5. Duplicate management in Bigin . Zoho
  6. Zoho Invoice pricing . Zoho
  7. Bigin integrations . Zoho
  8. Zoho MCP pricing . Zoho
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