There are countless ways to work in this world, but some tools stand out as universally effective for businesses in organizing sales processes and boosting efficiency. One such powerful tool is… 🥁the Pipeline!

Pipelines allow you to organize your processes into stages, providing clear visibility into where each potential student or applicant is in their journey with you.

Despite its incredible potential, many still aren’t using this tool, missing out on a game-changer that could significantly streamline operations and drive better results.

In this article, we’ll walk you through what a pipeline is, how to organize it, and why it’s crucial for your international education business. 

What’s a Pipeline?

A simple pipeline tool helps you track every step in your business processes. 

Imagine it as a visual map showing where each of your potential clients or students are in their journey—whether they’re just starting to show interest, submitting an application, or finalizing their enrollment.

Its biggest benefit? It keeps you organized. 

If you’re only dealing with 3 or 4 monthly inquiries, you might not need it… but when you’re handling hundreds or even thousands of leads every day, week, or month, it’s too much to manage on your own. 

That’s when you need a tool to support you in this process, and that’s where the Pipeline becomes invaluable.

What are the stages in the pipeline?

When we talk about a pipeline being organized by stages, you might be thinking, “What does that even mean?”

Well, with a pipeline, you organize your leads into different sections, called “stages,” representing each step of the process they go through with your business. 

Think of it as grouping your leads based on their journey: some are just starting to show interest, others have submitted their applications, and some are about to confirm their enrollment. 

The beauty of a pipeline is that it allows you to move each lead from one stage to the next as they progress, giving you a clear view of where everyone stands and helping you stay on track. It’s a simple way to keep everything organized and ensure no one slips through the cracks.

How to Organize Your Pipelines

Now that you know what a pipeline is and why it’s crucial, let’s talk about organizing it. 

We’ve analyzed hundreds of pipelines created by agencies on the Edvisor platform to identify patterns and trends.

The reality is, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the type of agency you run, the programs you offer, and the size of your operation, your processes will vary.

Each agency tailors their pipelines to fit its unique needs, ensuring it can effectively manage and track its workflows in a way that makes the most sense for them.

Next, we’ll highlight the most effective and commonly repeated pipeline structures we’ve seen across agencies:

🎯 Sales Pipeline

This is the most typical use of a pipeline. 

A well-structured sales pipeline is your roadmap to understanding exactly where each of your potential clients stands in the sales journey. 

It’s usually structured like this:

• New Leads: This is where you collect all your leads or potential students—those who’ve shown interest but haven’t engaged deeply yet.

• Qualifying: Determine if these leads are genuinely interested and have the means to enroll. This stage is also called inquiry, lead generation, or leads—indicating that you’ve started working with these prospects.

• Meeting/Lead Qualified: After a call, if they seem interested and qualified, you move them here.

• Proposal: You’ve followed up with program details and costs.

• Negotiation: The student remains interested after your proposal, and you’re addressing any concerns or objections.

• Won: Celebrate! The student has chosen you and made the first payment.

By moving a prospect from one stage to the next, you can track their progress with precision. 

For example:

After a call, you can place them in the “Meeting” stage.

Once you create the quotation on Edvisor and share it, advance them to the next stage, indicating that a follow-up has been made and you’re awaiting their response.

This level of organization ensures nothing falls through the cracks, keeping your sales process seamless and efficient.

🛠️ Full Agency Operations Pipeline

While most use pipelines to track sales, their versatility extends far beyond that. 

Many agencies extend their pipelines to manage entire workflows, covering everything from new leads to the application process and even the visa application process.

Structuring your pipeline this way gives you a clear, end-to-end view of operations, ensuring every step is accounted for and nothing gets overlooked.

🗂️ By Department or Specific Process

Alternatively, you can set up specific pipelines for each department. For instance, you might have a sales pipeline for your sales team, a registration pipeline for admissions, and a visa pipeline for those handling visa applications. 

This approach allows each department to focus on its tasks while maintaining clarity and efficiency across the organization.

Examples:

📋 Registrations Pipeline (For the Admissions Department):

1. Inquiry Received
2. Information Sent
3. Application Started
4. Documents Requested
5. Documents Received
6. Application Submitted
7. Application Reviewed
8. Acceptance Pending
9. Decision Made
10. Enrollment Confirmed

🛂 Visas Pipeline (For the Visa Department):

1. Visa Information Sent
2. Document Collection
3. Visa Application Submitted
4. Awaiting Approval
5. Visa Approved
6. Visa Rejected
7. Additional Information Requested
8. Visa Issued
9. Student Informed
10. Travel Arrangements Made

🎓 By Type of Education

Some agencies also create different pipelines for different types of education and their counselling requirements. 

At the end of the day, selling an ELICOS program isn’t the same as selling higher education, and if you’re handling large volumes of both, you might need different pipelines with steps in them.

Building Your Pipeline

As you can see, there’s no one “right” way to create or structure your pipelines.

The best approach is the one that fits your unique operations and workflow. We’ve provided some examples to inspire you, but ultimately, the correct setup is the one that works best for you.

The Pipeline is a crucial element in your sales arsenal. Together with other tools, it helps you organize your leads and processes effectively. 

As long as it’s doing that, it’s doing its job.

At Edvisor, our CRM includes the Pipeline tool to help you easily group and manage your leads. 

You also have access to our support team and your dedicated account manager with years of experience supporting agencies and schools on our platform. 

They can guide you on how to implement this tool if you haven’t already. 

Don’t miss out—make the most of this powerful, user-friendly feature that’s simple to implement and can deliver substantial benefits to your business!