Most clinics don't have a sales problem. They have a pipeline problem.

You're getting enquiries. Patients love your treatments. But somewhere between "interested" and "loyal regular," people disappear. Not because they're unhappy—they're just not being guided through a structured journey.

In this guide, you'll learn how to build a proper sales pipeline for your clinic from scratch—combining proven B2B sales methodology with clinic-specific realities. This works whether you're using Cliniko, Pabau, Phorest, or just spreadsheets.

Reading Time: 5 minutes | Last Updated: December 15, 2025

📋 The 5-Stage Pipeline

STAGE 1

Lead Capture

→

STAGE 2

Consultation

→

STAGE 3

First Treatment

→

STAGE 4

Second Treatment

→

STAGE 5

Patient Retention

This guide shows you exactly how to build each stage, track conversions, and implement within 7 days.

What Actually Is a Sales Pipeline? (And Why Clinics Need One)

A sales pipeline isn't marketing fluff. It's a systematic way to move prospects from awareness to purchase, with defined stages, actions, and metrics at each step.

Traditional B2B sales pipeline:

Cold Lead → Qualified Lead → Meeting Booked → Proposal Sent → Closed Deal

Clinic sales pipeline:

Initial Enquiry → Consultation Booked → First Treatment → Active Patient → Repeat Bookings

The principles are identical: visibility, process, and momentum.

Without a pipeline, you're reactive. With one, you're proactive. You know exactly where each patient sits, what action to take next, and where your bottlenecks are.

The 5-Stage Clinic Sales Pipeline (Build This)

Stage 1: Lead Capture & Qualification (Days 0-1)

Goal: Get their details, understand their needs, qualify their intent.

Sources:

Phone enquiries (direct response required)
Website forms (respond within 60 minutes)
Instagram DMs (respond within 2 hours)
Walk-ins (capture details before they leave)

Your Action: Create a simple qualification script

What treatment are they interested in?
When are they looking to book?
Have they had this treatment before?
What's their budget expectation?

Traditional method: Receptionist takes details, adds to waiting list
2026 method: Automated SMS within 5 minutes with booking link + qualification questions

Track: Number of enquiries per source, response time, qualification rate

Stage 2: Consultation Conversion (Days 1-7)

Goal: Get them into the clinic for a consultation (even if it's free).

Why this matters: Show-up rate for consultations is 70-80%. Show-up rate for enquiries who never book? 0%.

Follow-up sequence:

Immediate: SMS confirmation with booking link
Day 2: "Still interested? Here's what to expect in your consultation"
Day 5: "Last chance this week—two slots left"

Track: Enquiry-to-consultation booking rate (target: 40-60%)

Stage 3: Consultation to First Treatment (Days 7-14)

Goal: Convert consultation into booked treatment.

This is where most clinics lose people. They have a great consultation, the patient says "I'll think about it," and never returns.

Your Action:

During consultation: Build a treatment plan on the spot
End with: "Would you like to book now or take 24 hours to think?"
If they don't book: Trigger immediate follow-up

Track: Consultation-to-first-treatment rate (target: 50-70%)

Stage 4: First Treatment to Second Treatment (Days 14-90)

Goal: Prevent one-and-done. Turn first-timers into repeat patients.

Critical window: The 48 hours after their first treatment.

Your Action:

Immediately post-treatment: Book their next treatment before they leave
48-hour follow-up: "How are you feeling after your treatment?"
Pre-cycle follow-up: Botox week 10, Fillers month 6, Physio week 6

Track: First-to-second treatment rate (target: 60-75%)

Stage 5: Active Patient Retention (Ongoing)

Goal: Keep them in your ecosystem for 12+ months.

Quarterly touchpoints (not just "book now" messages):

Month 3: Educational content
Month 6: New treatment introduction
Month 9: VIP offer
Month 12: "It's been a year! Here's your treatment history"

Track: 12-month retention rate (target: 40-60%), Average lifetime value

Setting Up Your Pipeline in Cliniko, Pabau, or Phorest

None of these systems have built-in pipeline management. They're booking and practice management tools. Here's how to work with what you have:

Active (0-90 days)

Currently engaged—focus on retention

At-Risk (90-180 days)

Overdue for treatment—need re-engagement

Dormant (180-365 days)

Slipping away—reactivation campaigns needed

Lapsed (365+ days)

Win-back territory

💡 Quick Win: Most clinics find 40-60% of their database sitting dormant. That's your biggest revenue opportunity—patients who already trust you.

Using Cliniko:

Tags = Pipeline stages ("Lead", "Consultation Booked", "First Treatment")
Custom Fields = Capture qualification info
Appointment Notes = Log pipeline actions
Export weekly to track stage movement

Using Pabau:

Lead Management feature = Use for stages 1-3
Client Categories = Pipeline stages
Communication Templates = Standardise outreach
Reports = Track conversion metrics

Using Phorest:

Client Categories = Pipeline stages
Custom SMS Templates = Automate touchpoints
Appointment History = Track treatment cycles
Marketing Reports = Measure effectiveness

💡 Pro tip: Export your data weekly to a simple Google Sheet or Airtable to visualise pipeline flow and bottlenecks.

Build Your Pipeline This Week: 7-Day Implementation

Day 1: Map your current patient journey from enquiry to loyal regular. Identify gaps.
Day 2: Define your 5 pipeline stages and what qualifies someone to move to the next stage.
Day 3: Create 3 message templates (post-consultation, post-first-treatment, pre-cycle).
Day 4: Set up pipeline stages in your practice management software (tags/categories).
Day 5: Build your tracking system (spreadsheet minimum, CRM ideal).
Day 6: Train your team on pipeline stages and their role in moving patients through.
Day 7: Start moving existing patients into the correct pipeline stage. Begin tracking.

Your Pipeline Is Your Growth Engine

Revenue isn't random. It's the output of a system.

Build a proper sales pipeline, and you'll know exactly:

How many enquiries you need to hit revenue targets
Where patients are getting stuck
What actions increase conversion
Which marketing channels actually work

Start simple. Track everything. Optimise monthly.

Ready to Build Your Pipeline?

Book a call to review your current setup and create a custom implementation plan.

Book a Discovery Call

How to Build a Sales Pipeline for Your Clinic in 2026