Most lost borrowers are not lost to competitors. They are lost to silence — a promising conversation at the market that nobody followed up. A clear pipeline fixes that.
Five stages that fit microfinance
| Stage | What it means | Moves on when… |
|---|---|---|
| New | Interest captured, not yet contacted | An officer has spoken to them |
| Qualified | Need, product and eligibility discussed | An offer or next step is agreed |
| Engaged | Offer sent, visit booked or documents requested | An application is submitted |
| Applied | Application in assessment | Approved and disbursed, or declined |
| Converted | Active member or borrower | — |
Keep a sixth stage, Lost, and always record why: chose another lender, could not provide documents, not eligible, not interested now. Those reasons are gold for product and process improvements.
Every lead needs an owner and a date
A lead without an owner belongs to nobody. A lead without a next follow-up date will be forgotten. Make both mandatory after first contact.
Start each day with two lists
- Due today and overdue: promises to keep.
- Hot leads: the highest-scoring prospects nobody has contacted yet.
The weekly pipeline meeting
Branch managers should spend 20 minutes a week on three questions: which leads are stuck in the same stage for more than two weeks, which officers have overdue follow-ups, and which sources produced conversions this month.
Measure conversion, not activity
Visits and calls matter, but the measure that counts is how many prospects become active members, and how quickly. Track lead-to-member conversion by officer, source and territory, and share what the best performers do differently.