Prodigm - Blog , Best PracticesProdigm - Blog , Best Practiceshttps://www.prodigm.ca/blogs/best-practicesWed, 01 Apr 2026 21:46:19 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Zoho Best Practice Guide: Sales]]>https://www.prodigm.ca/blogs/post/Best-Practices-SalesThe Prodigm "Best Practice" series of blogs is designed to help you use your Zoho system to achieve your business goals. Finding and developing qualified leads is an expensive business process. Here's how to make sure your sales investment is spent as effectively as possible.]]>

Integrating Sales Process with CRM to work smarter, not harder

The Prodigm "Best Practice" series of blogs is designed to help you use your Zoho system to achieve your business goals.

    • Are you losing sales opportunities because your sales people don't follow up at the right time? 
    • Do your sales people only concentrate on the bottom end of the funnel and neglect the top? 
    • Do you have a guided qualification system that you can rely on to be followed?


    Finding and developing qualified leads is an expensive business process. Here's how to make sure your sales investment is spent as effectively as possible.

What is a Lead?

A Lead is someone who you have not Initially Qualified. That means you are not sure if they "Fit" your customer profile.

​
​In Zoho, a Lead can be stored in the Lead module or if, for example, you met someone at a business show, and had a really good qualifying conversation, you may create them directly in the Contacts module. 


You would then create a Task associated with that Contact, to urgently complete the Initial Qualification process. See best practices on Task Management for more details.

What is an Inbound Lead?
An Inbound Lead reaches out to you. They put their hand up! 

Inbound leads happen from a chance meeting, a website visitor, networking, phone call, website chat or web form inquiry. Treat them like an ice cream, melting in the sun. 

These are people who have have heard about your company or product and are interested.

Initially Qualify them fast, TODAY, THIS MINUTE! Do it before they melt away. These are people who are expecting to hear from you pronto!
What is an Outbound Lead

An outbound Lead is someone you reach out to. You may never have met them and you may not know all that much about them.


An Outbound lead means that you have acquired the lead contact information, for example from a list of attendees at a trade show. They are not expecting your call or email so they need a different automated qualification strategy, perhaps one that encourages them to “put their hand up” in response to your email campaign for example. However be cautious to seek permission beforehand to send emails or you can run into Privacy and Spam Concerns.

Once you have permission, Lead scoring is a useful way to pre-qualify an outbound lead - do they open your email? Click through from your email to a landing page? Spend time on your website? - all “scorable” actions. Use the CRM linked with Zoho Campaigns to perform outbound qualification and engagement. Also you can optionally use Zoho Social to engage to the Outbound Lead group.

What to do with an Initially Qualified Lead?

If your Lead is initially qualified and ready to engage:


A successfully Qualified lead next step involves using sales resources, (For example setting up a meeting or presentation).


Immediately convert the Lead to create a Deal during Lead Conversion, to track your success.



If your Lead is initially qualified but not ready:


If the Qualification process identifies a future sales opportunity, that implies staying in touch until they are ready to buy your product.

  • Convert the Lead to a Contact and Account.
  • Add the Contact to an automated email strategy by assigning a Tag or Campaign and creating a follow-up task to call them regularly or send a personal email. 
  • If they then become actively interested, Create a Deal record at that time.

If your Lead is initially qualified but is unlikely to buy your product: 

  • Note why. 
  • Convert the Lead to a Contact and Account but do not create a Deal record. 
When should I create a Deal record?
Once you have Initially qualified a Lead and immediate sales action is required, a Deal record can be created from the Lead by pressing the Convert button or added from a Contact record (Deal option on the left column). 

In the "What is a Lead" section there is a description of Initial Lead qualification. That qualification is required to ensure that precious sales time is not wasted on prospects who will never buy from your company. Once that "Triage" is completed: (Immediate action, Future prospect, Not a prospect), Then in-depth engaged qualification begins for the "Immediate Action" group. 


Once the In-depth qualification questions, demonstrations and needs analysis are completed, the Deal is updated to a "Qualified" stage. 


The sales manager should be able to see tangible proof in the Deal record that the Qualification process has been completed. Proof can be notes, phone records, completion of criteria information, addition of attachments, video recordings of sales meetings, quotes provided, needs analysis documented and flow-charted - whatever fits your business management needs.


"Proof "management can be managed in two ways: By establishing "Blueprinting" criteria for required fields and/or by inserting a management review hold until the Deal is approved by the Sales Manager.


During the In-depth Qualification Process, The Sales Person expends sales resources that can include:

  • A survey
  • A product demonstration
  • A meeting or meetings with the prospective customer and executive team
  • Preparing an initial quote
  • Discussing pricing and discount levels
  • Asking in-depth questions and completing the required information boxes for the Qualification Stage in the Opportunity/Deal/Potential record. 
  • Identifying the appropriate product or service that will meet the customer's needs


Once the investigation of the prospects needs and "fit" with your products/services is completed, the sales stage is moved to "Qualified" in the Deal Record. 

What Happens when the Deal stage is set to Qualified?
Once the customer is fully qualified, the details have to be discussed  in preparation for creating a proposal or quote.

Qualify Hard, Close Easy!

This discussion could result in a document outlining the general requirements, a design document to discuss with the prospect, or possibly a detailed quote or estimate using specific product details from your Inventory Items.
  • Some customers have an integration between their CRM and Accounting system so that transactions such as Estimates, Sales Orders and Invoices can be created by their sales people - often with an approval step.
  • Some discussion can occur refining the proposal or estimate. Payment terms, warranties, deposits, delivery details, performance, information etc. are required before the approval team give their go ahead and a Sales Order (SO) is created and Approved. 
  • Once the Proposal or Quote is provided to the prospect, the sales stage is changed to Quoted.
  • Once the Quote or Sales Order is accepted, the sale stage can be changed to Accepted or Invoiced as possibly an Invoice is created on SO approval.
When do I mark a deal 'Closed Won'?

When do I mark a Deal Record 'Closed Won'?

This varies from company to company. 
  • When a PO is received
  • When an Invoice is issued
  • When a down payment is received
  • When the contract is signed
The main criteria should be consistency. Is the Purchase Order (PO) a match for your Sales Order? At this point the Production/Delivery process or Project begins. 

Note that if your accounting system is integrated with your CRM Estimates, Sales Orders and Invoicing can be completed by sales people from the CRM. If the sale involves creating a Zoho Project, it can be initiated from the Deal. 
Why follow a sales process?

Your Deal records provide you with insight to your sales funnel and also into sales performance. The sales funnel is a good indication of future production load or inventory requirements. It can help you understand cash flow or personnel challenges. However it is a prediction. Not solid data. 


With a standard sales process that is required to be followed, that prediction process of when a sale will close, and what it implies in product inventory, personnel and production facilities required, can be much more concrete. Better predictions = better profitability and less stress.

Is a Deal the same as an Opportunity??

Yes! a Deal is the same as an Opportunity. Zoho changed the name of the module a few years ago. Most CRM's refer to a Deal or an Opportunity. It represents the effort and coordination required to make a sale - who is involved from the vendor and potential customer, what stage is it at, conversations, notes, estimate, documentation, images, associated projects - a lot of data is associated with the Deal.

Best Practices

✔️ Qualify hard, close easy (understand your client's needs in-depth to offer the right
solution)
✔️ Don't show up and throw up (don't overwhelm your client with information about your
business and capabilities, rather focus on their needs and opportunities)
✔️ Discover the decision making process
✔️ Identify the decision team
✔️ Who is the final decision maker?
✔️ Identify three main problems you can solve
✔️ Find out when a solution is needed
✔️ Find out when and if a budget will be available
✔️ Why would they pick your solution rather than your competitor's

If you need hands-on help to refine and manage your sales process...

We offer a "Best Practices" half-day course where we walk you through implementing the practices and topics of specific interest to your business.

This course offers hands-on time to get used to the functional elements of the "Best Practice".

Half-day course starting at $500

Book a meeting to discuss what we would cover in the half-day course below.
Book a Free 15 Min Consultation
]]>Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:42:39 -0500<![CDATA[Zoho Best Practices: Tasks]]>https://www.prodigm.ca/blogs/post/Best-Practices-Zoho-TasksBest practices of Zoho Tasks. Why use tasks? How to create tasks, repeat tasks, set reminder tasks, set task priority, set task views, and how to process and assign tasks.]]>

See how to create tasks, set repeat tasks, reminder tasks, task priority, task views, and task processing

Why Use Tasks
  • Transform your CRM from a phone directory into a plan of action
  • Organize your contact strategy and motivate your daily activities
  • Make efficient use of your time 
  • Feel organized and in control 
  • Make more sales 
  • Keep customers feeling appreciated 
  • Prioritization to get the important things done 
  • Report and share completed tasks with your team 
  • Improve team coordination 

And most of all answer the question: "What do I do next today?"

How To Create Tasks
  • A task is a piece of work that is usually time sensitive.
  • In Zoho CRM, tasks are listed in the record's Home page, and in other related records, and mainly processed through the Activities module 
  • While creating a task in CRM, enter task details: Subject, Task Owner, Due date

Best practice: create tasks within the record to which the task is related, such as a Deal, Account, Contact, or Lead. That way  you don't have to specify the entity that the task is to which the task is related.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Note: The context of "what record is this related to", is provided by the connection to the Peter Coy Contact record 

How To Repeat Tasks

Set repeat type for a task 

  • To create recurring tasks that need to be repeated over a specific period of time, you can set any task to recur by clicking repeat.
  • You can specify when the task should be completed.
  • Recurrence time can be set as - daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or custom repeat type - where you can specify your time period.

How to set a repeat type:

  1. Select the repeat type as Daily, Weekly, Monthly or set a custom repeat type from the drop-down list.

Best Practice: Use Tasks for stay-in-touch or regular service calls with customers

How to Set Reminder Tasks

Set reminders for tasks 

  • You can set reminders to receive notification before the task reaches the due date.
  • You can choose to be reminded on the day of the due date or number of days/weeks/months before the due date at a particular time, either via email or popup or both.
  • The reminder can also be repeated if required. 

Best Practice: Set a pop-up task reminder or email on the due date (pop-up is great if you work on the CRM all the time)

How to set reminders

  • Toggle on the Reminder switch.
  • In the pop-up, specify when you want to be reminded.
  • You can choose a specific date and time or number of days/weeks/months before the due date at a specific time.
  • Choose a Repeat Type from the drop-down list.
  • Select how you want to be notified from the drop down list.
  • You can choose from Email, Pop Up or Both.
How to Set Task Priority

Set Task Priority

Best Practice: 

  • 4 Star - Important and Urgent 
  • 3 Star - Important less Urgent
  • 2 Star - Urgent not Important 
  • 1 Star - Not Urgent Not Important


Create Task views in Activities that reflect each Task priority level and "Today and overdue" Tasks

  • When you have time to work on tasks begin with 4 star then 3 star etc.
  • Use Activities to view tasks and use the Kanban view 
  • When you click on a task in a column that column becomes the "active" column 

Best Practice: Create a task view of 4 star and 3 star tasks that are today and overdue

This is the active task detail record.


Best Practice:

  • If you are about to make a call or create an email then review the Conversations and Timeline to see previous notes, Activities and emails 
  • Once the task is processed to completion mark status as closed 
  • If the Task is incomplete mark status as "in progress" and reset the due date 
  • After close you will be given the option to create the follow up task for this contact 
  • Always have a plan for what to do next and a task to remind you 
  • Adjust the priority according to your latest communication outcome 
How to Set Task Views

Set Task Views

When to use list view:

  • Control over sequence by clicking header column 
  • Amend data view components and sequence 
  • Mass update or Tag of selected tasks 
  • To start processing on the complete view of all tasks outstanding 


When to use Kanban view:

  • To see what tasks are related to what category of person: customer, open deals, leads/contacts, others
  • To start processing on that categorized view 


Note: There is a unified view of tasks in Zoho Mail. This shows all your tasks from Zoho Mail, CRM, Projects, People and Connect, and provides status update capabilities. 

How to Process and Assign Tasks

Processing Tasks 

Processing tasks is your top priority after booked meetings, reserved time, and urgent responses.

Best Practice: 

  • After reviewing your day's calendar, review your task list 
  • Start at the top of the task view 
  • Select the first task and complete including: emails, notes, calls, etc. 
  • Update the next activity date or create a new task if this task is completed
  • Save the task and select the next task and process it

Assigning Tasks

  • Assign tasks to other users who are subordinate to you or where you have permission to assign tasks to specific other users
  • You can monitor the completion of tasks you have assigned 
Automating Tasks with Workflow

Task Automation processing advantages and benefits

Best practice:  Use a workflow event to trigger a task creation


Example: A contract has been signed and returned or a payment has been made. 


When the contract has been signed, a workflow trigger can create a Task for a specific individual, a role group or team of people. The task can be delivered by email or just added to the assignee’s task list. That transfers the responsibility for completing the task to the individual or group. Once they have completed their task, responsibility can be transferred to another team, individual or group.


The created task is automatically associated to the main record in which it was created so it is simple for anyone receiving that task, to review and/or update the main record with Notes or other data fields gathered during that stage of processing. Because tasks are easily monitored it is a simple process to monitor task completion of critical components of the overall process.

Tasks from a Call

CRM task directly from Click-to-dial

After a phone call using click-to-dial in your Zoho CRM, a dialogue box pops up in your CRM. There you can add a task connected with your customer such as plan a follow up call. This task will be saved under CRM tasks.

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