Alpha / Knowledge hub
From a practical question to a workable customer process.
Guides for teams organising customer contact, follow-up and handovers. Choose a topic, explore the example and use the checklist in your own process.
159 guides found
Choosing a CRM
When does a spreadsheet become too small for customer management?
Look at handovers and missed actions. When several people update the same customer without reliable contact history, a shared process matters more than extra columns.
Read the guideHow do you prepare for a CRM demo?
Bring a normal enquiry, a difficult handover and an exception. Ask the vendor to demonstrate those situations using roles resembling your team.
Read the guideWhich CRM requirements are essential?
Connect every requirement to a task and the consequence of its absence. Separate essential daily capabilities from wishes that may become useful later.
Read the guideWhat costs sit alongside a CRM licence?
Include configuration, migration, training, integrations and internal administration. Ask which activities are one-off and which recur when expanding or making changes.
Read the guideHow do you scope a CRM pilot?
Choose one team and a complete customer journey. Agree which outcomes the pilot must demonstrate and which exceptions it will include.
Read the guideDoes a solo business need a CRM?
Assess whether you can reliably retrieve contact history and next actions. A CRM becomes useful when multiple channels and longer sales journeys complicate oversight.
Read the guideWhen should CRM configuration grow with your team?
Expand when ownership, access or handovers change. More users do not automatically require more fields, but they need shared working agreements.
Read the guideWhat should you ask a CRM vendor?
Ask about your workflow, available integrations, support and change costs. Request demonstrations and a clearly bounded implementation scope.
Read the guideHow do you compare CRM systems fairly?
Use the same process and criteria for every vendor. Weight daily tasks heavily and assess explanations about missing functionality separately.
Read the guideWhat signals indicate a CRM no longer fits?
Look for recurring workarounds: shadow spreadsheets, duplicate entry and unclear ownership. Check whether configuration or working agreements solve the problem before replacing the system.
Read the guideCapturing enquiries
What information does a new lead require?
Ask enough to contact the person and understand the request. Additional fields help when they change a next action or assignment.
Read the guideHow do you verify website form handover to a CRM?
Follow a test enquiry through to the responsible employee’s record. Check content, source, acknowledgement and next action together.
Read the guideHow do you distinguish a brochure request from an opportunity?
Record interest without assuming readiness to buy. Create an opportunity when the conversation reveals a concrete need and a possible next step.
Read the guideHow do you record a useful telephone enquiry?
Record the request, commitment and responsible colleague. Separate the customer’s words from your interpretation so another person can continue accurately.
Read the guideHow do you recognise an existing customer making a new enquiry?
Check identifying details before creating a customer record. Keep a different need as a separate journey while preserving existing contact history.
Read the guideWhy record the original lead source?
The source helps identify channels producing suitable enquiries. Keep original origin alongside later touchpoints so a follow-up email does not overwrite the first entry.
Read the guideHow do you handle an incomplete enquiry?
Make missing information visible and choose a specific recovery action. Block progress only when the missing field is necessary for a sensible next step.
Read the guideHow do you handle duplicate enquiries without losing context?
Check whether the person and need are the same. Combine relevant contact context while keeping different projects or enquiries identifiable.
Read the guideHow do you define clear lead assignment rules?
Use characteristics determining the responsible team, such as region or service. Define a fallback for requests that fit no rule or involve several teams.
Read the guideWhat belongs in an enquiry acknowledgement?
Confirm what was received and what happens next. Promise a response time only when the team can support it.
Read the guideFollowing up leads
How do you write a useful next action?
Describe the action, intended result and timing. Avoid vague instructions such as follow up, which leave interpretation to the next employee.
Read the guideHow do you organise the first response to a lead?
Assign new enquiries visibly and agree a realistic review time. Distinguish acknowledgement from a substantive answer.
Read the guideHow do you follow up a lead who does not respond?
Start from the original request and contact preference. Define a bounded follow-up plan and when to close or revisit the journey.
Read the guideHow do you prevent callback commitments disappearing?
Record a callback as an action with an owner and time. Keep the reason alongside it and make overdue actions visible in daily work.
Read the guideHow do you prioritise leads?
Use concrete urgency, agreed deadlines and a suitable need. Make priority explainable and avoid focusing only on the newest enquiry.
Read the guideWhen is an interested lead sufficiently qualified?
Define the required need, fit and next step. Enthusiasm is a signal but does not replace a concrete request and mutual agreement.
Read the guideHow do you review older leads?
Read the previous outcome and check whether the original reason still applies. Reopen with a defined reason and appropriate contact arrangement.
Read the guideHow do you use contact preferences in follow-up?
Keep preferred channel and timing where the follow-up owner can see them. Adjust the plan when the customer requests different contact or none.
Read the guideHow do you hand over lead follow-up during leave?
Review open actions before leave and assign temporary owners. Record important commitments and when the original employee takes over again.
Read the guideHow do you close a lead properly?
Record the outcome and reason and deliberately close remaining actions. Separate possible future contact from an active sales journey.
Read the guideSales pipeline
How do you define sales stages?
Use observable changes in the customer journey. Describe what has happened and what decision justifies moving to the next stage.
Read the guideWhen does a pipeline have too many stages?
Stages are redundant when they do not change decisions or work. Keep small activities as actions rather than creating a stage for every call attempt.
Read the guideWhat is the difference between a contact and an opportunity?
A contact describes the relationship; an opportunity describes a potential journey with a need and outcome. One contact can have several opportunities.
Read the guideHow do you recognise a stalled opportunity?
Review time since meaningful progress alongside the next action. A long journey is not necessarily stalled when a known decision date explains it.
Read the guideHow do you make loss reasons useful?
Choose a small set of reasons leading to different improvements. Keep explanatory notes and distinguish known reasons from assumptions.
Read the guideWhich amount belongs to an opportunity?
Agree whether amounts mean proposal value, expected contract value or another basis. Do not mix definitions in a total without explanation.
Read the guideWhen do you reopen a lost opportunity?
Reopen when the same need demonstrably returns. Create a new journey if the scope changes materially and preserve the previous outcome.
Read the guideWhen should you split pipelines by product?
Split when decisions and responsibilities differ materially. Use a product field when sales stages remain the same to avoid duplicated administration.
Read the guideHow do you run an effective pipeline review?
Discuss decisions and blockers rather than reading every record aloud. Select opportunities needing help, an owner or a changed next step beforehand.
Read the guideWhat happens after an opportunity is won?
Define which approval marks the transition and what delivery needs. Check scope, contact person, timing and outstanding commitments before handover.
Read the guideAppointments and calendars
Which fields belong in a booking form?
Ask for information needed to confirm and prepare. Require a phone number only when the appointment cannot happen without it.
Read the guideHow do you make an appointment location clear?
State before booking whether the meeting is online, at an office or at the customer’s location. Match confirmation details and instructions.
Read the guideHow do you test calendar availability for online booking?
Check free and busy time using a connected calendar. Include a recently changed appointment; an empty test calendar cannot reveal conflicts.
Read the guideHow do you organise appointment cancellations?
Define where cancellations are processed and who is notified. Decide whether follow-up is needed so cancellation does not automatically end the customer journey.
Read the guideWhat should you check when rescheduling an appointment?
Check the old time is removed, the new time is confirmed and the responsible employee sees the change. Keep preparation attached to the same journey.
Read the guideWhen do you need buffers between appointments?
Reserve preparation, wrap-up and travel time alongside the meeting. Base buffers on the appointment type and check their effect on available slots.
Read the guideWhat makes an appointment reminder useful?
Repeat the time, location and preparation and provide a clear change route. Use current appointment details to avoid sending outdated instructions.
Read the guideHow do you follow up a missed appointment?
First check that timing and joining instructions were clear. Record the outcome and offer a suitable next step without assuming a loss reason.
Read the guideHow do you assign appointments across a team?
Combine suitability with availability. An open calendar is insufficient when the employee cannot handle the service or region.
Read the guideWhich CRM information helps prepare an appointment?
Show the original question, prior commitments and meeting purpose. Limit preparation to relevant context rather than requiring a full record search.
Read the guideQuotations and handovers
What information do you need to prepare a quotation?
Collect needs, scope, assumptions and decision-makers. Make missing information visible before treating a proposal as complete.
Read the guideHow do you distinguish quotation versions?
Identify revisions and preserve the version sent. Connect approval to the correct scope so delivery does not use an outdated proposal.
Read the guideWhen should you schedule quotation follow-up?
Align timing with the customer’s expected review. Record the arrangement when sending and adjust it when decision-making changes.
Read the guideWhat should you record after a rejected quotation?
Keep the known rejection reason and relevant explanation. Separate product fit, timing and price so analysis can lead to different improvements.
Read the guideHow do you handle changes after sending a quotation?
Clarify what changes and which version replaces the previous proposal. Check effects on price, timing and commitments before communicating the change.
Read the guideWhen should a quotation require internal approval?
Define exceptions requiring review, such as unusual scope or conditions. Identify the reviewer and required information to prevent avoidable waiting.
Read the guideWhat information passes from quotation to order?
Transfer accepted scope, customer details and delivery commitments. Check that changes agreed during sales are visible to the recipient.
Read the guideHow do you keep unanswered quotation questions visible?
Record questions as concrete actions with an owner. A general waiting status does not identify who collects information or when progress resumes.
Read the guideWhy keep quotations and contact history connected?
Proposal context explains expectations and revisions. Ensure the next employee can retrieve relevant conversations and commitments alongside the document.
Read the guideHow do you handle an expired quotation?
Check whether price, scope and availability need reassessment. Explain whether a new proposal is needed before progressing.
Read the guideCRM for coaching
How do you turn an Instagram conversation into an intake?
Summarise the need and agree a concrete next step. Keep conversation context available to the person conducting the intake.
Read the guideHow do you distinguish a coaching lead from a client?
Base the transition on an agreed decision or start date. Keep interest, intake and coaching as distinct steps with their own responsibilities.
Read the guideWhat information helps prepare a coaching intake?
Use previously shared goals and practical questions. Collect only what prepares the conversation and leave room to discuss expectations personally.
Read the guideHow do you follow up a coaching offer?
Connect the offer to the discussed need and agreed review. Record which question remains before the person can choose a programme.
Read the guideHow do you distribute intake conversations in a coaching team?
Assign conversations by availability and fit. Make response ownership and handover timing visible.
Read the guideHow do you compare coaching acquisition channels?
Compare suitable intakes and programme starts alongside enquiry counts. Preserve source definitions so Instagram, referrals and website traffic are assessed consistently.
Read the guideHow do you close an unsuitable coaching enquiry?
Record the practical reason without retaining unnecessary personal detail. Explain what can be offered and close sales actions.
Read the guideWhat do you hand over from intake to coaching?
Transfer commitments, chosen programme and practical start details. Keep sales context identifiable and agree which additional information the coach collects.
Read the guideHow do you record referrals to a coaching business?
Record that an enquiry came through a referral and capture relevant context. A referrer and commercial partner are not automatically the same category.
Read the guideHow do you connect coaching capacity with sales?
Give intake planners realistic start availability. Identify waiting enquiries and avoid promising a start date before internal agreement.
Read the guideBathrooms and showrooms
How do you follow up a bathroom brochure request?
Treat the request as interest and ask about the preferred next step. Use inspiration and project timing as context without assuming immediate purchase readiness.
Read the guideWhat context helps prepare a bathroom consultation?
Collect preferences, room context and earlier questions. Give the adviser a short overview and mark information still needing confirmation.
Read the guideHow do you connect an enquiry with a consultation visit?
Keep enquiry and visit connected as one journey. Check address, contact arrangements and preparation before confirming the visit.
Read the guideHow do you record bathroom preferences for handover?
Separate firm requirements, preferences and undecided choices. Preserve explanations for important wishes so colleagues see more than isolated labels.
Read the guideHow do you keep bathroom choices identifiable in a quotation?
Connect selected items to the current proposal version. Mark provisional choices so an illustration is not mistaken for a final agreement.
Read the guideHow do you handle showroom visitors who are only exploring?
Record interest and contact arrangements without forcing an active sales journey. Ask whether and when further contact is welcome.
Read the guideWhy distinguish different renovation requests?
The type of work determines preparation, expertise and possible timing. Use categories that change follow-up rather than adding reporting labels alone.
Read the guideWhat does scheduling need after renovation approval?
Transfer accepted scope, location, customer commitments and outstanding conditions. Have scheduling confirm what is sufficient to determine delivery timing.
Read the guideHow do you handle customer changes during a renovation journey?
Record the requested change and assess consequences before confirming. Distinguish requested, reviewed and agreed changes.
Read the guideHow do you connect aftercare with the customer record?
Keep the issue connected to the correct journey and assign an owner. Separate aftercare from new sales while preserving relevant history.
Read the guideTeams and ownership
What does ownership of a customer record mean?
An owner safeguards progress and handovers even when others perform tasks. Define which decisions the owner makes and when responsibility transfers.
Read the guideHow do you test CRM roles against real work?
Use accounts for relevant roles and perform daily tasks. Check both required access and information outside that person’s responsibility.
Read the guideHow do you distribute customer records across branches?
Define branch responsibility and when records are shared. Use explicit rules for central enquiries and boundary cases.
Read the guideHow do you improve sales-to-delivery handovers?
Ask delivery what information is needed to start. Use a handover check and distinguish confirmed agreements from sales expectations.
Read the guideHow do you prevent inconsistent CRM field meanings?
Write short definitions and examples for important fields. Discuss ambiguous cases and adjust definitions before reporting discrepancies grow.
Read the guideHow do you delegate CRM tasks without losing ownership?
Give the assignee a specific action, context and intended result. Agree how completion is reported to the record owner.
Read the guideHow do you onboard a new CRM user?
Start with a complete example journey, then practise exceptions. Ask the employee to handle a record and explain each step.
Read the guideHow do you manage a shared CRM work queue?
Identify unassigned items and who distributes them. Separate queue management from handling assigned records.
Read the guideWhat makes an internal CRM note useful?
Record relevant facts, decisions and commitments in clear language. Avoid unsupported interpretations and identify uncertainty.
Read the guideWho is responsible for CRM administration?
Appoint a process owner to assess changes and collect user questions. Explicitly separate technical administration from business decisions when different people perform them.
Read the guideReporting and lead quality
What counts as an organic lead?
Define a real enquiry with a traceable organic source. Separate visits, CTA clicks and confirmed enquiries and agree how returning visitors are attributed.
Read the guideHow do you measure qualified leads?
Record product fit and a concrete need using shared criteria. Keep qualification date separate from enquiry arrival.
Read the guideWhy measure booked and attended demos separately?
A booking shows interest; an attended meeting shows participation. Distinguish cancellations, rescheduling and missed appointments to understand the transition.
Read the guideWhich denominator should you use for lead conversion?
Connect each percentage to a defined population. Visits-to-enquiries and enquiries-to-qualified-leads answer different questions and should be separate.
Read the guideWhy distinguish branded from non-branded searches?
Branded searches and general buying queries reflect different discovery routes. Keep definitions consistent over time and assess leads alongside search traffic.
Read the guideHow do you measure sales cycle duration?
Define start and end points and treat open journeys separately. Compare similar opportunity types so long projects do not obscure meaning.
Read the guideHow do you validate a pipeline report?
Inspect underlying records for stage, amount and date. Include a lost and a reopened opportunity to test the report’s scope.
Read the guideHow do you assess conversion with few enquiries?
Show absolute counts alongside percentages and use longer comparable periods. Inspect individual records before treating a fluctuation as a trend.
Read the guideHow do you assess landing page lead quality?
Connect original landing page, enquiry and qualification. Review visitors’ needs and whether the page appropriately sets that expectation.
Read the guideHow do you make a weekly report actionable?
Choose indicators the team can influence and connect deviations to record review. Assign an owner and review date for each improvement.
Read the guideData and migration
How do you prepare an Excel file for CRM migration?
Determine which rows represent active relationships or journeys and clarify field meanings. Preserve an unchanged source before cleaning.
Read the guideHow do you map fields for a CRM migration?
Record source-to-target mapping and required conversions. Resolve ambiguous cases explicitly rather than silently losing information.
Read the guideHow do you clean duplicate contacts before migration?
Compare several identifying details and review uncertain matches manually. Preserve relevant history before merging or excluding records.
Read the guideWhat should you check after a trial import?
Compare counts, relationships and complete sample records. Correct row totals do not prove history and ownership arrived in the right place.
Read the guideWhich history should you move to a new CRM?
Move information explaining active commitments or relevant relationships. Decide separately what belongs only in a reference archive.
Read the guideHow do you choose a CRM cutover time?
Choose a time when open work and changes are controllable. Define who still uses the old system and when the new environment becomes authoritative.
Read the guideHow do you convert legacy CRM statuses?
Map statuses by meaning rather than name. Check whether old categories combine situations that need separating in the new process.
Read the guideHow do you preserve record ownership during migration?
Map old owners to current roles and define a fallback for departed employees. Have teams review open records before launch.
Read the guideHow do you manage issues found during migration?
Record the issue, source record, impact and owner. Separate blocking defects from improvements that can wait until after launch.
Read the guideWhen can the old CRM become an archive?
Check active work has transferred and required history remains retrievable. Agree who accesses old information and how corrections are handled.
Read the guidePlanning integrations
How do you choose the source system for customer data?
Decide where each field is maintained. One system may own contact data and another financial information; document the division explicitly.
Read the guideWhen should you choose a one-way integration?
Use one direction when the receiving system mainly consumes data. Two-way exchange requires additional rules for simultaneous changes and conflicts.
Read the guideWhy do connected systems need stable identifiers?
An identifier connects records despite name or address changes. Check how existing and new records retain the same reference.
Read the guideWho handles CRM integration errors?
Assign responsibility for detection, investigation and recovery. Let employees know which information remains incomplete during repair.
Read the guideWhat should you check before changing an integrated field?
Map systems reading or writing the field. Test the new meaning against existing data and align user instructions.
Read the guideWhat should you ask about an Outlook CRM integration?
Ask which calendar or email data is processed, in which direction and for which users. Request the actual workflow rather than relying on a product name.
Read the guideHow do you define CRM-to-Exact integration scope?
Describe required relationship or transaction data and handover timing. Verify available support for your administration and workflow.
Read the guideWhich scenarios should test a website-to-CRM integration?
Test a normal enquiry, an existing customer and missing information. Check how failed transfers become visible and are recovered.
Read the guideWhy test an integration with a bounded dataset?
A bounded dataset makes effects and discrepancies inspectable. Use representative records and prevent test actions from unintentionally contacting customers.
Read the guideWhen is a CRM integration ready for use?
Assess the full workflow including exceptions, ownership and recovery. One successful transfer does not yet prove an everyday process.
Read the guideIntroducing a CRM
Where should a CRM implementation start?
Choose one customer process and describe the current journey with the people doing the work. Clarify ownership and decisions before choosing fields and automation.
Read the guideHow do you validate a new CRM configuration?
Ask future users to perform recognisable tasks with relevant records. Check outcomes and information received by the next employee.
Read the guideHow do you make CRM training practical?
Practise with realistic enquiry types and let participants make decisions. Explain why information is required and where support is available.
Read the guideHow do you tell whether a team actually uses the CRM?
Check whether records support daily handovers. Login counts matter less than current actions, clear owners and useful contact history.
Read the guideWhich CRM process should you automate first?
Choose repeatable work with clear conditions and an inspectable outcome. Resolve unclear responsibilities before accelerating execution.
Read the guideHow do you prioritise CRM change requests?
Connect requests to a problem, affected users and expected impact. Prioritise daily blockers over wishes without a defined scenario.
Read the guideWhat should you check before launching a CRM?
Check users, open work, data and support together. Ask the team to handle a complete enquiry and define who addresses initial problems.
Read the guideWhat should you review after the first month of CRM use?
Review actual records, recurring questions and workarounds. Choose a few improvements and later check whether they make daily work easier.
Read the guideWhich CRM working agreements should you document?
Describe enquiry ownership, important field meanings and handover timing. Keep instructions short enough to use during work.
Read the guideWhen should you add another CRM module?
Expand when the current process is stable and the new need is clear. Describe handovers between components and assess added administration.
Read the guideBuyer guidance
How do you organise buyer choice deadlines?
Connect a deadline to the decision and project consequences. Show outstanding choices and how exceptions are assessed.
Read the guideWhy preserve buyer choice history?
History explains earlier discussions and when a choice changed. Keep the current choice identifiable without losing previous decisions.
Read the guideHow do you prepare a buyer meeting using 3D?
Choose the home, options and questions the meeting should answer. Use a consistent route so comparison does not depend on random exploration.
Read the guideHow do you keep option pricing clear for homebuyers?
Show which choice belongs to which proposal and conditions. Check that the visual variant and recorded price describe the same scope.
Read the guideHow do you assess a change after a buyer decision?
Record the new request and check effects on detailing, cost and timing. Confirm after relevant roles assess the change.
Read the guideWhat does engineering need from buyer guidance?
Transfer confirmed choices, home identification and relevant exceptions. Ask engineering to check whether information is unambiguous enough for detailing.
Read the guideHow do you keep buyer questions connected to the correct home?
Connect a question with home, topic and owner. Keep the answer in context so cover or handover does not require searching disconnected emails.
Read the guideHow do you start digital buyer guidance?
Choose a bounded project scope and record current choice and communication flows. Test with an example home before involving all buyers.
Read the guideWhich roles should you define for digital buyer guidance?
Separate buyer explanation, technical assessment and decision processing. Clarify who approves exceptions and who informs the buyer.
Read the guideHow do you use buyer choices in completion checks?
Compare confirmed choices with delivery information. Identify discrepancies and decide who reviews them before treating them as completed.
Read the guideHome configuration and BIM
How do you separate fixed and variable parts of a housing concept?
Describe what stays fixed and what varies by project or buyer. Give variables meanings shared by design and delivery.
Read the guideHow do you record dependencies between home options?
Describe options that require, exclude or affect one another. Test combinations and have the technical owner assess results.
Read the guideHow do you build a home configurator test matrix?
Choose representative options and risky combinations. Record expected visual and substantive outcomes for each scenario.
Read the guideWhy do buyer choices need stable codes?
A stable code connects a choice to model parts and handovers. Use readable descriptions for people and stable references for processing.
Read the guideHow do you manage home configuration versions?
Record which concept and choice version belongs to a decision. Assess consequences before applying new concept rules to existing configurations.
Read the guideWhat should you check when transferring configuration to Revit?
Check home, version, choices and expected model outcome. Compare a representative result with the confirmed configuration before automating subsequent steps.
Read the guideHow do you choose detail level for a home presentation?
Match detail to the question the model answers. Early spatial comparison needs different information from a technical handover.
Read the guideWhat is the difference between project and buyer options?
Project options define the concept framework; buyer options operate within it. Record which earlier decisions constrain individual choices.
Read the guideWho assesses buildability of configurator options?
Have subject owners assess rules and exceptions. A visually fitting option does not prove structural, installation and delivery compatibility.
Read the guideHow do you reuse a configurator for a new project?
Reuse concept logic and review project assumptions separately. A familiar concept still requires checking location, variants and available options.
Read the guide3D home presentations
Who should a home viewer be designed for?
Choose users and their question before defining controls and detail. Buyers, advisers and designers need different information and guidance.
Read the guideWhy use fixed views in a home viewer?
Fixed views provide recognisable comparison points and support explanations. Choose positions showing option differences and retain the same starting point between variants.
Read the guideHow do you sequence a digital home tour?
Follow a route explaining the home and important choices. Introduce controls before complex variants and provide recognisable transitions.
Read the guideWhat should you test in a mobile home viewer?
Check loading, controls, readability and option switching on real devices. Test the buyer’s task rather than only whether a model appears.
Read the guideHow do you explain a future home’s surroundings?
Explain which surroundings data is shown and how current it is. Distinguish existing context, future project design and illustrative visualisation.
Read the guideHow do you use sun position in a buyer presentation?
Use location and time to explore atmosphere and shadow. Clarify that an interactive presentation does not replace required project-specific assessments.
Read the guideHow do you present AI home images clearly?
Identify the image as a visualisation and check relevant details against the source configuration. Use it for atmosphere and discussion rather than replacing project agreements.
Read the guideHow do you prepare a VR home demonstration?
Choose a short task and guide orientation and controls. Offer a screen alternative for visitors who prefer it.
Read the guideHow do you collect useful feedback on a home viewer?
Ask users to complete a concrete task and observe where explanation is needed. Connect feedback to task and situation rather than general preference alone.
Read the guide