Creating a lead in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales CRM isn’t just about filling out a form. It’s about moving through a process that keeps your team aligned from first contact to closed deal, especially when using the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales CRM tools.
Utilizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales CRM can significantly enhance your lead management process.
Starting with a New Lead
Click on the Leads menu and hit New. You’ll see a blank form, but you’ll also notice something else at the top: a business process flow.
In our case, it’s called the “Reach Lead Business Process” and starts at the Qualify stage. This flow guides you through what information you need at each step and when you’re ready to move forward.
For the basics, give your lead a name (we’ll use “Qualify Testing” as an example) and add contact information:
- First and last name
- Job title
- Business phone
- Mobile phone
- Email address
You’ll also want to add the company name—Bob’s Corp in this example. Not mandatory, but you’ll want it.
Once you’ve filled the required fields, click Save. Additional options appear, and you’re ready to move through the process.
The Qualify Stage
The business process flow shows you what’s needed at each stage. In Qualify, you’re gathering basic information and determining if this lead is worth pursuing.
This stage helps you answer: Is this a real opportunity? Does it fit what we do? Is there budget and timeline?
Once you have that clarity, you can move to the next stage.
Developing the Opportunity
When a lead qualifies, it converts to an opportunity. The process continues, now tracking probability and deal value.
At the Develop stage, you’re building out the details. Probability might jump to 40% as you get clearer on scope and fit.
Then you move to Propose. Here’s where you need to:
- Complete the proposal
- Add licenses and/or services to the opportunity
- Complete internal review
- Complete estimation
- Present the proposal
Adding Products and Services
To add what you’re selling, go to the Products tab. Select a price list (we use a default price list), save it, then add products.
You can select existing products from your catalog or write in custom line items. For our example:
- Licenses: $70 per license × 10 licenses = $700
- Implementation services: $10,000 × 1 = $10,000
- Total: $10,700
Each line item saves separately. When you’re done, you’ll see the complete amount and breakdown on the opportunity.
Direct vs. Indirect Sales
Back on the Summary tab, you’ll see a Sales Type field. This matters for reporting and commission tracking.
Direct sale: You’re working directly with Bob’s Corporation. They’re your customer. They’re paying you.
Indirect sale: You’re working through a partner. Maybe you’re a subcontractor. You’re not billing Bob’s Corp—you’re billing your partner. In that case, the account wouldn’t be Bob’s Corp. It would be your partner’s account.
This distinction affects how you track revenue and relationships.
Moving Through Proposal and Closing
Once you’ve completed the proposal, added products, reviewed everything internally, and presented to the client, move to the next stage.
In the Decision stage, you’re tracking:
- Decision date
- Whether the proposal needs updates
- Whether contracts have been sent
Throughout this process, use the timeline to add notes, emails, appointments, and activities. When someone else looks at this opportunity three months from now, they should see the full story.
The Final Stages
In the Closing stage (80% probability), you’re tracking:
- Contracts signed by the client
- Handover to delivery
Once the client signs and you’ve handed off to delivery, you’re at 100%. Time to close the opportunity.
Closing as Won or Lost
You have two options:
Close as Won: You got the deal. Status becomes “Won.” The opportunity is read-only. Revenue of $10,700 is recorded. The deal moves to delivery.
Close as Lost: Somewhere in the process—negotiation, proposal, wherever—the client backed out. Click Close as Lost and select a reason: pricing, timeline, went with a competitor, whatever applies. This data matters for understanding where deals fall apart.
Why the Process Flow Matters
The business process flow isn’t just ceremony. It keeps everyone on the same page about where a deal stands and what needs to happen next.
Without it, opportunities sit in limbo. “Are we waiting on them or are they waiting on us?” “Did we send the contract?” “Who’s supposed to follow up?”
The process flow answers those questions. You can see at a glance what stage you’re in, what’s been completed, and what’s still needed. When deals involve multiple people—sales, delivery, finance—that visibility matters.
The Reality for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales CRM
Not every lead follows the happy path from Qualify to Won. Most don’t. But having a consistent process means you can spot patterns. Where do deals typically stall? What stage has the longest cycle time? When do you lose opportunities?
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. The business process flow gives you that measurement built into your daily workflow.
Ready to get your sales team up and running in Dynamics 365? Our Rapid Sales Implementation gets you live in weeks, not months.
