The Opportunities module helps you track sales from initial contact to closed deal. This guide teaches you how to create opportunities, move them through pipeline stages, track revenue, link to customers, and use the visual Pipeline module to manage your sales process effectively.
Understanding Opportunities vs Pipeline
What's the Difference?
Opportunities Module:
- Detailed opportunity management
- Individual deal tracking
- Revenue forecasting
- Customer linking
- Activity tracking
Pipeline Module:
- Visual pipeline view
- Drag-and-drop stage management
- Pipeline analytics
- Quick overview of all deals
How They Work Together
- Opportunities contain the detailed information
- Pipeline provides the visual overview
- Both use the same data
- Changes in one reflect in the other
Tip: Use Opportunities for detailed work, Pipeline for quick overview and management.
Creating Your First Opportunity
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Navigate to Opportunities
- Click "Opportunities" in the main navigation
- You'll see the opportunities list
2. Click "Create Opportunity"
- Click the "Create Opportunity" or "+" button
- A form will open
3. Fill in Deal Information
- Title (required): Name of the opportunity
- Description: Details about the deal
- Value: Expected deal amount (currency uses your account's preferred currency)
- Expected Close Date: When you expect to close
Probability can be set when editing the opportunity and is used for revenue forecasting.
4. Link to Customer
- Link to an Individual or Organization
- This connects the deal to your contact
5. Set Initial Stage
- Start with "Lead" stage
- Move through stages as deal progresses
6. Assign to Team Member
- Assign to yourself or a team member
- Track ownership
7. Save
- Click "Save" or "Create"
- Your first opportunity is created!
Best Practices
Clear Titles:
- Use descriptive titles
- Include company name
- Make it searchable
Realistic Values:
- Use actual expected deal values
- Update as deal progresses
- Be conservative with estimates
Accurate Probabilities:
- Reflect real likelihood of closing
- Update as deal progresses
- Use for revenue forecasting
Pipeline Stages Explained
The Six Stages
1. Lead
- Initial contact or inquiry
- New opportunity entered
- Needs qualification
2. Qualification
- Assessing fit and interest
- Determining if prospect is a match
- Evaluating budget and decision process
3. Proposal
- Formal proposal submitted
- Solution presented
- Pricing discussed
4. Negotiation
- Finalizing details
- Contract discussions
- Terms and conditions
5. Closed-Won
- Deal successfully closed
- Contract signed
- Revenue recognized
6. Closed-Lost
- Deal did not close
- Lost to competitor or cancelled
- Important for learning
Moving Through Stages
When to Move:
- Move when deal actually progresses
- Don't skip stages
- Update probability as you move
How to Move:
- Open the opportunity
- Change the stage
- Update probability
- Add notes about progress
- Save
Tip: Use stages consistently. This helps with reporting and forecasting.
Using the Visual Pipeline
Pipeline Module Overview
The Pipeline module provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface for managing your sales pipeline.
Benefits:
- See all deals at a glance
- Drag deals between stages
- Visual representation of pipeline health
- Quick stage management
How to Use
1. Navigate to Pipeline
- Click "Pipeline" in the main navigation
- You'll see the visual pipeline
2. View Deals by Stage
- Each stage is a column
- Deals appear as cards
- See deal value and customer
3. Move Deals
- Drag a deal card to a new stage
- Drop it in the target stage
- Deal stage updates automatically
4. View Deal Details
- Click on a deal card
- See full opportunity details
- Edit from pipeline view
Pipeline Analytics
Revenue Forecast:
- See total pipeline value
- View by stage
- Probability-weighted revenue
Deal Count:
- Number of deals per stage
- Identify bottlenecks
- Track pipeline health
Win Rate:
- Historical win rates
- Stage conversion rates
- Performance metrics
Revenue Tracking and Forecasting
Understanding Revenue Forecast
Revenue forecast = Sum of (Deal Value × Probability)
Example:
- Deal 1: $10,000 × 50% = $5,000
- Deal 2: $20,000 × 75% = $15,000
- Deal 3: $5,000 × 25% = $1,250
- Total Forecast: $21,250
Accurate Forecasting
Keep Probabilities Current:
- Update as deal progresses
- Reflect real likelihood
- Be honest with estimates
Use Realistic Values:
- Use actual deal values
- Don't inflate numbers
- Update as information changes
Track Historical Data:
- Compare forecast to actual
- Learn from past deals
- Improve accuracy over time
Revenue Reports
Pipeline Value:
- Total value of all opportunities
- By stage
- By team member
Weighted Forecast:
- Probability-weighted revenue
- More accurate than raw totals
- Better for planning
Closed Revenue:
- Actual closed deals
- Historical performance
- Win rates
Linking Opportunities to Customers
Why Link Opportunities?
Linking opportunities to customers:
- Connects deals to your contacts
- Shows all deals for a customer
- Tracks customer relationship
- Better organization
How to Link
When Creating:
- Select customer during creation
- Choose Individual or Organization
- Link is created automatically
After Creation:
- Open the opportunity
- Find "Customer" section
- Click "Link Customer"
- Search and select
- Save
Viewing Customer Opportunities
From Customer Record:
- Open Individual or Organization
- Find "Opportunities" tab
- See all linked opportunities
- Track relationship history
Benefits:
- Complete customer view
- See all interactions
- Track relationship value
- Identify key customers
Best Practices
Pipeline Management
Keep Pipeline Updated:
- Update stages regularly
- Keep probabilities current
- Remove stale opportunities
- Close lost deals promptly
Maintain Data Quality:
- Use clear, descriptive titles
- Keep values realistic
- Update close dates
- Add notes about progress
Regular Review:
- Review pipeline weekly
- Identify stuck deals
- Follow up on leads
- Move deals forward
Sales Process
Consistent Stages:
- Use stages consistently
- Don't skip stages
- Define stage criteria
- Train team on stages
Probability Management:
- Update probabilities regularly
- Be honest with estimates
- Use for forecasting
- Learn from accuracy
Deal Progression:
- Move deals forward actively
- Don't let deals stall
- Follow up regularly
- Close or lose decisively
Next Steps
What to Do Next
After creating your first opportunity:
-
Add More Opportunities
- Create opportunities for all leads
- Track all potential deals
- Keep pipeline full
-
Use the Pipeline View
- Visualize your sales process
- Manage deals efficiently
- Track pipeline health
-
Forecast Revenue
- Use probability-weighted forecasts
- Track accuracy
- Plan based on forecasts
-
Learn More
- Read the Opportunities Module Guide
- Read the Pipeline Module Guide
- Explore related features