When we needed a sales app that actually worked the way our team does, we built it in Dynamics 365 for sales. Here’s what that looks like in practice and what you can learn from it.
We kept access straightforward. Our team can reach the Reach Sales app through a direct link in the user guide, or by clicking the app name at the top of Dynamics 365 and selecting it from the app list. Nothing fancy—just easy access to where they need to be.
That top navigation dropdown shows all available apps in your environment. For our team, that means they can switch between the Sales app and any other apps they need without jumping through hoops. Click the app name, find what you’re looking for, select it. Done.
What You See First Matters
When you first open our Sales app, it lands on opportunities by default. That works for most of our team since pipeline management is central to what we do. But not everyone starts their day the same way.
Some people need to see their activities first—calls to make, emails to send, meetings scheduled. Others want to jump straight into accounts or the sales accelerator workspace. The platform needs to flex to how each person actually works.
That’s where personalization settings come in.
Making It Personal
Go to Settings > Personalization Settings and you’re in the control center for your experience. Under the sales pane, you can choose what you want to see when you open the app: opportunities, sales accelerator, activities, accounts, contacts, leads, or any of the menu items in the navigation.
We left opportunities as the default, but the option is there for anyone who wants something different. And people use it. Our sales reps who spend most of their time prospecting? They switched to leads. Account managers focused on existing relationships? They switched to accounts.
Beyond the homepage, you can also adjust:
- Number of records shown per page (some people want to see everything at once, others prefer shorter lists)
- Time zone (matters when you’re coordinating across regions)
- Calendar format
- Other personal options that affect how you interact with the system
These aren’t earth-shattering features. They’re table stakes. But they’re table stakes that make the difference between a system people tolerate and one they actually use.
Why This Approach Works
We’re a Microsoft Solutions Partner, so we know what Dynamics 365 for sales can do. Building our own sales app wasn’t about reinventing CRM—it was about configuring what’s already there to match our process.
The platform gave us the structure. The data model, the security, the integration with everything else in the Microsoft ecosystem. We just shaped it to fit how our team operates.
This isn’t a complex custom build. It’s smart configuration. We didn’t write custom code for navigation or personalization settings—that’s all native functionality. We just put it together in a way that makes sense for sales.
Watch how we can help you with your sales processes
The Basics Still Matter
Our app covers accounts, contacts, leads, and opportunities. That’s the core of sales. Everything else builds from there. Clean navigation, sensible defaults, room for people to personalize their view. Get those right and you’re 80% of the way there.
What You Can Take from Dynamics 365 for Sales
If you’re wondering whether to customize Dynamics 365 for sales process, the answer is usually yes. The platform is built for this. You don’t need to reinvent everything—just configure what’s there to match how your team actually operates.
Start with what people need to see first. Then build out from there. The app should disappear into the background so your team can focus on actually selling.
Ready to get your sales team up and running in Dynamics 365? Our Rapid Sales Implementation gets you live in weeks, not months.
