SOP: CRM Opportunity Creation

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to ensure that all new opportunities are created, structured, and updated in the CRM consistently. Proper opportunity creation allows accurate forecasting, seamless handoffs, and visibility for Sales, Pre-Sales, and Delivery teams.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to:

  • All qualified leads that move into opportunity stage after discovery call.
  • Sales Representatives, Account Managers, and Sales Ops.
  • IT Services & SaaS projects across all geographies.

3. Definitions

  • Opportunity: A potential deal logged in CRM with defined qualification status, stage, and next steps.
  • CRM: The organization’s official system of record (HubSpot, Zoho, Salesforce, etc.).
  • Primary Contact: Main prospect-side person attached to the opportunity.
  • Next Step: The agreed upcoming action with date/time (e.g., demo, workshop, proposal).

4. Step-by-Step Process

A. Trigger for Opportunity Creation

  • An opportunity must be created in CRM when:
    • Discovery call has been completed (see Discovery Call Execution SOP).
    • Prospect shows interest in solution alignment and next-step agreement.
    • Minimum MEDDPICC fields are partially filled (Metrics, Pain, Contact).

B. Opportunity Creation Process

  1. Navigate CRM
    • Log in and open Opportunities/Deals module.
    • Click “Create Opportunity” or equivalent.
  2. Fill Mandatory Fields (all required for opportunity creation):
    • Opportunity Name: Format → Company – Use Case – Month/Year.
      • Example: “ABC Fintech – API Integration – Aug 2025”.
    • Account/Company: Attach to existing account record.
    • Primary Contact: Link main stakeholder.
    • Stage: Set to “Discovery Completed” or equivalent.
    • Owner: Assign to Sales Representative.
    • Close Date (Expected): Estimate based on prospect timeline.
    • Deal Value (Est.): Add ballpark value or TBD.
  3. Fill Recommended Fields:
    • Source: Inbound form, referral, outbound, event, etc.
    • MEDDPICC Fields: At least Metrics, Pain, and Decision Process notes.
    • Next Step: Record agreed upcoming milestone (with date).
    • Tags/Custom Fields: Region, vertical, ICP score, persona.
  4. Attach Supporting Information
    • Call notes, discovery agenda, prospect documents.
    • Meeting recording/transcript link if available.

C. Post-Creation Validation

  • Review all entries for accuracy.
  • Sales Manager (or Sales Ops) reviews opportunities weekly for compliance.
  • Opportunities missing mandatory fields → flagged “Incomplete” in CRM.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  • Sales Representative: Creates and updates opportunity records.
  • Sales Manager: Ensures compliance and validates accuracy during pipeline review.
  • Sales Ops: Configures CRM fields and reporting dashboards.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  • No deal may progress beyond qualification if CRM opportunity record is incomplete.
  • Repeated failure to log opportunities → performance review.
  • Opportunities without defined next step → excluded from pipeline metrics.

7. Review & Ownership

  • Document Owner: Head of Sales.
  • Review Cycle: Quarterly to align with CRM updates.
  • Version Control: Maintained in CRM knowledge base.