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: Select currency
- Probability: Close probability (0-100%)
- Expected Close Date: When you expect to close
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