Why creating stages?
Now that your data are pushed to Salesmachine (in the data management), the first step for you is to create the different lifecycle stages. Lifecycle Stages will help you categorize every phase of the customer development and maturity. With stages, you can track the advancement of each customer and make sure they are performing the right actions according to their maturity.
You can set stages for both contacts and accounts independently.
Note that you can set a different health settings for each stage (learn more about health settings).
Warnings :
A profile can only be in one stage at a time
When a profile meet 2 stages at the same time, it will be in the most advanced stage
Account Stages
Account stages can be identified according different criteria. Here are some examples:
By Product Maturity : Trial > Onboarding > Adoption > Expansion > Renewal > Churn
By Plan : Free Client > Starter Plan > Standard Plan
Mix of product maturity and plans : Free trial > Qualified Trial > Onboarding > Adoption > Plan A > Plan B > Renewal > Churn
Segmentation : High Touch / Low Touch
Stages definition depends on your client expectations and the type of strategies to deliver consistent customer success.
Contact Stages
Contact stages can be defined according different criteria:
Personae : Decision maker / Power User / Sponsor / End User
Product Maturity : Trial > Onboarding > Adoption > Expansion > Renewal > Churn
Should I prefer Contact or Account stage?
As Salesmachine offers both contact and account stage definition, you can use both, as much as you need. If your company is focusing on contacts, account stages won't be necessary for you. If your Customer Success Team is focusing on accounts like most of the B2B businesses, we recommend to use stages only at the account level so your team can be focus on one lifecycle (note that in this case, contact stages can be used to apply a different health settings by personae).