Most forecasting problems aren't forecasting problems — they're data problems. These are the habits we put in place for every client whose CRM we run.
1. One owner per record
Every company, contact and deal has exactly one owner. Shared ownership means nobody updates it.
2. Log activity the same day
Calls, emails and meeting notes go in before the end of the day. Memory fades fast; the CRM shouldn't.
3. Define your stages — in writing
Write down what has to be true for a deal to enter each stage. "Proposal sent" should mean the same thing for everyone.
4. A next step on every open deal
- A date
- An action
- An owner
Deals without a next step are the first to go stale.
5. Merge duplicates every week
Duplicates split history and confuse reports. A short weekly review keeps them under control.
6. Keep required fields few
Ask for the fields you actually use. Ten mandatory fields mean ten fields filled with "n/a".
7. Review the pipeline together
A weekly 30-minute review — stage by stage, oldest deals first — keeps data honest and gives managers a real view of the quarter.
A CRM is not a database you fill in. It's the shared memory of your revenue team.
Need a hand cleaning up? Our Revenue Operations team can help.
Written by
Pratura team
Our SDR, customer experience and RevOps teams share what works on the floor — in Canada, France, Belgium and beyond.
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