What is Exit Criteria?
Exit criteria are the rules that keep a pipeline honest. Without them, "Qualified" means something different to every rep and the forecast becomes guesswork.
A good exit criterion is objective enough that two reps would agree on whether a deal meets it. If they would disagree, it is too vague.
Short answer
Exit criteria are the specific, verifiable conditions a deal must satisfy to move from one pipeline stage to the next, such as "economic buyer confirmed" or "proposal sent." They remove ambiguity from stage placement so that every rep interprets stages the same way, which is what makes stage-based conversion rates and forecasts trustworthy rather than noise.
Key takeaways
- Objective conditions required to advance a stage.
- Remove ambiguity from stage placement.
- Keep conversion rates and forecasts consistent.
- Should be verifiable, not a matter of opinion.
Why it matters
When reps interpret stages differently, the forecast is built on inconsistent data. Exit criteria enforce a shared definition, which is the foundation of every reliable stage-based metric.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo lets you attach explicit exit criteria to each stage and Rook checks whether a deal actually meets them before advancing, so stages reflect real progress rather than optimistic data entry.
Frequently asked questions
What is a stage exit criterion?
It is a specific, verifiable condition a deal must meet to advance to the next stage, such as "economic buyer confirmed" or "proposal accepted." It keeps stage data consistent across reps.
Why do exit criteria matter?
Because without them, each rep interprets stages differently and the forecast becomes noise. Exit criteria enforce a shared definition of each stage, which makes conversion rates and stage-based forecasting trustworthy.
What makes a good exit criterion?
Objectivity. A good exit criterion is verifiable enough that two reps would agree on whether a deal meets it. Vague, opinion-based criteria defeat the purpose by letting stage placement drift.