Sales pipeline helps in revenue forecasting for the sales department. It defines the distinct stages of your sales process. CRM tools also help in analyzing prospects in each pipeline stage and also determine whether a lead needs additional encouragement. There are also some features which will help in optimizing the sales pipeline. They are: clearly defined sales pipeline, Integrating CRM Information, Identifying customers leaving the pipeline, and Lead Scoring Criteria. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/optimizing-your-sales-pipeline-with-crm-68441