Deal labels, owners and sharing

Stage says where a deal is in the process. It does not say how you feel about it — and those are genuinely different things. Labels and forecast categories are how you record judgement without distorting the stage.

Ownership and visibility are the other half: who is responsible, and who can see it at all.

Who this is for

Reps recording their read on a deal, and managers reading the forecast.

Before you start

• Permission to update deals and change owner.
• An honest view of the deal — the whole value of these fields is candour.

Do not move stage to express confidence
Advancing a deal because you feel good about it is the single most common way a pipeline becomes fiction. Stage should reflect what has actually happened. Use the label and forecast category to say what you think — that way the board stays factual and your judgement is still recorded.

Use them

1. Set the owner
   One person is responsible. The owner automatically follows the deal, so they get its notifications.
2. Add followers for the interested
   A manager or a solutions engineer can follow without owning it — visibility without diluting responsibility.
3. Label it hot, warm or cold
   A quick read on temperature that is independent of stage. This is where optimism belongs.
4. Set the forecast category
   Committed, likely, pipeline or omitted. This is the honest statement about whether the deal should be counted on, and it is what a manager reads first.
5. Override the probability if the stage number is wrong
   Stage probability is a default. When you know a specific deal differs, override it on that deal rather than distorting the stage for everyone.
6. Check visibility for sensitive deals
   Deals carry visibility, so a confidential opportunity can be restricted rather than visible to the whole workspace.

The four forecast categories

What you get

• Clear responsibility on every deal.
• Judgement recorded without corrupting the stage.
• A forecast category managers can read directly.
• Control over who can see a sensitive opportunity.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a label and a forecast category?

The label is a quick temperature read. The forecast category is a commitment statement — committed, likely, pipeline or omitted — and it is what a manager reads when building the number.

When should I override the stage probability?

When you have specific knowledge that this deal differs from the stage default. Override the deal rather than changing the stage, which would affect every other deal on the board.

Owner or follower?

Owner is responsibility, and only one person has it. Followers get visibility without it. Use followers for managers and specialists who need to stay informed.

Can I hide a deal from most of the team?

Deals carry visibility, so a sensitive opportunity can be restricted rather than open to the whole workspace.