Table of contents
1. Creating deals
Deals in Cone are initiated to track potential sales and client engagement opportunities from inception through various stages to their eventual conclusion as won, lost, or ongoing
Creating a new deal:
Navigate to the deals section: You can access deals by clicking on Deals from left navigation bar
Add Deal: Click on the ‘Create deal’ button to start outlining the specifics of a new sales opportunity
Deal details: Input vital information including the deal name, estimated value, associated contact or client, and the current stage within your sales pipeline. This initial setup is crucial for effective tracking and management
2. Managing deals through stages
Overview of Stages:
Cone’s deal management system is built around fixed stages designed to mirror the typical sales cycle: from prospecting to qualification, through to proposal submission and conclusion as either won or lost
Stage Progression:
As a deal progresses, users can manually update its stage to reflect current status. This progression aids in prioritizing efforts and resources towards the deals most likely to close successfully
3. Viewing options: List view and board view
List view:
Offers a straightforward, linear presentation of all deals, sortable by stages, values, or associated clients/contacts. This view is ideal for quickly assessing the volume and distribution of deals across different pipeline stages
Board view:
Provides a kanban-style overview, allowing users to visually track deal progression across different stages. Users can drag and drop deals between stages, facilitating easy updates to deal statuses as they evolve
4. Proposal creation from deals
Directly within a deal, users have the option to initiate proposal creation. This seamless integration ensures proposals are accurately aligned with the specifics of the sales opportunity, enhancing efficiency and coherence in client communications
Scenarios for Proposal Creation:
Depending on the deal’s associated information (client or contact presence), Cone offers tailored pathways for generating proposals:
Existing Client: Auto-fills client details in the proposal editor
Existing Contact with No Client: Prompts to link the contact to a current client or to a new client profile before proceeding
Contact with Multiple Client Associations: Users can select the relevant client for the proposal or create a new client profile for the contact
Blank Slate: If neither a client nor contact is associated, the proposal editor opens for manual client and contact selection
5. Deal actions
Beyond viewing and stage updates, users have several direct actions available for each deal:
Edit deal: Modify deal details to reflect changes or new insights
Mark as won/lost: Finalize the deal's outcome based on the proposal's acceptance or rejection
Delete deal: Remove deals that are no longer active or relevant
Create proposal: Utilize the specifics of a deal to craft a detailed proposal, choosing from a blank slate, exploring templates, or leveraging linked services
Change view: Toggle between list and board views based on preference for deal management