Using the Opportunities List to Effectively Manage Your Sales Activities

One important advantage of managing your sales activities with your SugarCRM account is the ability to list all your potential sales in Opportunities. Armed with that knowledge you can aggressively pursue all the potential business on a timely basis. 

The Opportunities module allows you to enter all the products you expect to sell. (Don’t enter long term maybes –only products you expect to sell in the short term) By clicking on Sales/Opportunities a list of all your opportunities will display. By viewing this listing on a daily basis, you will immediately see what outstanding opportunities are available for follow up. If your products have a relatively short sales cycle constant follow up is needed with each opportunity.  Longer sales cycle products allow a longer interval between contacts.

See the Opportunities headings in the image below. Opportunities should be updated on an almost daily basis. Every interaction you have with a customer can affect the % or the expected close date. Each update will change the date modified. Note the “Date Modified” column, it makes it easier for you to manage Opportunities. For short sales cycle products – If an Opportunity hasn’t been modified for five business days or longer it is a red flag. For longer sales cycle products – If an Opportunity hasn’t been modified for few weeks or longer it is a red flag. Nothing is happening and the business is in danger of being lost.  

You can sort by any of the headings. By sorting on the Close column the opportunities that are going to close soonest will be listed first.  

All listed Opportunities must have a scheduled Activity on the related Account. If you don’t have a scheduled Activity for the Opportunity how is the Opportunity doing to be converted to a closed order? (Suggestion: click on each opportunity and verify there is a scheduled Activity with the associated Account to assure there is a timely follow up) 

Using all the SugarCRM functionality will help you close more business.