Overview
Opportunities represent potential sales orders or business development opportunities for companies. In BQE CORE Pursuit, if you have determined there are potential sales to be made for prospects, you can go ahead and create opportunities for them detailing what you are expecting them to purchase, when they might purchase and how big the purchase is going to be. Typically, after the leads have been contacted and qualified as prospects, an opportunity is created to track the potential sales. You can then create proposals to email the prospects and negotiate the sales. After the life cycle of opportunity is completed, you generally indicate a closed-won or closed-lost opportunity stage. As these opportunities are won, they lead to various projects wherein the earlier leads and prospects now become your clients. Click to watch this video on managing opportunities in CORE.
Creating opportunities adds potential sales to the sales pipeline and, therefore, puts it on the radar of the sales managers, who might be holding the team responsible for the progress of opportunities. You can create a list of stages for your opportunities to indicate the current status of an opportunity, e.g., whether an opportunity is ongoing or closed. This custom list is useful in identifying various completion stages of opportunities from prospects to clients. You can also create a list of opportunity types, e.g., New Business, Existing Business, etc. When an opportunity arises, it is helpful for sales representatives or business development agents to classify or categorize the opportunity. Commissions and sales goals both are dependent on the opportunity amount that is won by the sales team. Sales Goals uses the opportunity amount won to calculate if the sales person met the periodic goals. On the other hand, commission is calculated for the sales person based on the primary quote associated with the opportunities won.
The Opportunities screen has a list view and a card view. The list view shows your opportunities in a grid. The card view shows your opportunities as cards, in a column for each opportunity stage. From either view, you can open the Snapshot panel to review and update an opportunity.
An opportunity opens on the Overview tab. This tab shows the key details of the opportunity, its pursuit time and expenses, to-dos, notes, and recent activity. You can update the stage and planning fields directly on this tab. The other tabs are Quotes, Proposal, Documents, To-Dos, Notes, and Settings.
An opportunity can have two linked projects. The Pursuit Project tracks the time and expenses spent on winning the work. The Execution Project is the project you create when you win the opportunity. For details, check Pursuit Projects.
Note: You can get a visual overview of this feature in CORE from the Pursuit flowchart.
How To
Switch Between List and Card View
Review Opportunities in the Snapshot Panel
Create Proposals in Microsoft Word
Convert Opportunities to Projects
Field Descriptions
| Field Name | Field Description |
| Opportunities > Info Bar > | |
|
Ongoing Opportunities Opportunities Won Opportunities Lost |
This info bar represents the three opportunity stages:
Ongoing and Closed-Lost use the weighted value, whereas Closed-Won uses the sales closed amount. |
| Opportunities > Card View > | |
| Stage Column | Each active opportunity stage displays as a column. The column header shows the stage name and the number of opportunities in that stage, say On Hold 1. |
| Total | Total opportunity value of the opportunities in the stage, say $100K. |
| Weighted | Total weighted value of the opportunities in the stage, say $25K. |
| Opportunity Card | Each card represents an opportunity. It shows the opportunity name, client, assigned employee, opportunity value, and probability. Click the card to open the Snapshot panel. You can drag the card to another stage column to change the stage of the opportunity. |
| Opportunities > Snapshot Panel > | |
| Opportunity Name | Name of the opportunity. Click it to open the opportunity record in a new browser tab. |
| Previous/Next | Arrows next to the opportunity name. Use them to move to the previous or next opportunity without closing the panel. |
| Stage | The current stage of the opportunity, e.g., ongoing, won or lost. You can change the stage here. |
| Client | This is the client associated with the opportunity. It shows under the opportunity name. |
| Type | The type of the opportunity, say New Client Work. It shows next to the client name. |
| Opportunity Value | Monetary value or worth of an opportunity. |
| Probability | Current possibility of winning the opportunity. This value is in percentage, say 25%. |
| Weighted Value | Revenue that you expect from the opportunity. It is calculated as Probability % x Opportunity Value. |
| Days in stage | Number of days the opportunity has been in its current stage. |
| Assigned to | This is the sales person to whom the opportunity is assigned. You can change it here. |
| Target Date | The realistic close date by which you want to win the opportunity. You can change it here. |
| Next step | Quick notes about the opportunity, such as related calls, emails or the next stage of its sales cycle. You can change it here. |
| To-Dos | To-dos for the opportunity. Click + or Add To-Do to add a to-do. |
| Notes | Notes for the opportunity. Click + or Add Note to add a note. |
| Recent Activity | Change history of the opportunity, most recent first; say “Stage changed from New to Go / No-Go Review”. |
| Opportunities > Create Opportunity > | |
| Opportunity | Name of the opportunity expected from a prospect. |
| Type | The type (e.g., new business, existing business, renewal, etc.) of opportunity can be selected from the drop-down list. You can create various opportunity types in Settings > Pursuit. |
| Client | This is the client or prospect associated with the opportunity. If an opportunity is converted to a project, this prospect becomes the client of that converted project. You have an option to select clients in addition to prospects in the drop-down list. If a client is linked to a prospect, only the client will appear in the list, reducing duplicates. |
| Description | Description or other information about the opportunity, such as additional licenses. |
| Priority | You can set a priority for the opportunity, e.g., High, Critical, or Low. It allows you to prioritize a set of opportunities. You can create customized priority values in Settings > Pursuit. |
| Assigned To | This is the sales person to whom the opportunity is assigned. It gets pre-filled by the prospect's Assigned To value by default. |
| Opportunity Value | Monetary value or worth of an opportunity. |
| Probability % | Current possibility of winning the opportunity. This value is in percentage, say 50%. When the opportunity moves into a different stage that has a default probability, CORE sets Probability % to that default. If the new stage has no default probability, the opportunity keeps its current Probability %. You can change it at any time. You can quickly update the probability of an opportunity later using the Update Probability option from the row action menu in the list view. |
| Weighted Value |
Weighted Value refers to the revenue that you expect from the opportunity. It represents the monetary value of an opportunity and is calculated as: Weighted Value = Opportunity Probability % x Opportunity Value By considering the probability of each deal closing, the calculation gives a more accurate representation of the revenue you can expect. |
| Target Date | The realistic close date by which you want to win the opportunity. It represents a deadline for an opportunity. It is set as one month later by default, but can be changed as needed. |
| Closed On Date | Date on which the opportunity was closed. This opportunity could be won or lost. |
| Created On Date | Date on which the opportunity was created. |
| Expiration Date | Calculated as the last expected close date, the opportunity's expected or actual close date. |
| Sales Goal | You can associate the relevant sales goal with the opportunity. This is needed to calculate the Actual Amount and % Realized values after an opportunity is won. |
| Project Template | CORE allows you to select a template for the project to be created if an opportunity is won. The selected project template can also be used when preparing a quote, enabling you to create a more detailed and descriptive estimate based on each phase outlined in the template. |
|
Address: City/State |
Address associated with the opportunity. When an opportunity is won and converted using a project template, this address automatically transfers to the project and to every phase in the template, eliminating the need for manual entry and ensuring a seamless and efficient workflow. If you convert without a template, only the project itself receives the address, since no phases are created in that case. |
| Project | You can select a project or create a new project for the opportunity, whether won or in-progress to be able to track time and expenses spent while working on that opportunity. |
| Unlink Project | After selecting a project here, you can unlink it. Unlinking a project results in your inability to log time and expenses for that opportunity. You are given the option to Update Project Status and then unlink it. |
| Stage | The current stage of an opportunity in terms of sales, e.g., ongoing, won or lost. When you change the stage, CORE applies the default probability of the new stage, if it has one, and prompts you to take any workflow action set on that stage. |
| Other Details: Status | Current status of an opportunity based on the sales process, say Active or Inactive. |
| Promotion | Promotion refers to the promotion or promo code that you want to associate with the opportunity. E.g., There could be an opportunity to sell TV sets to a prospect by offering a discount using a promotion code. You can create various promotions and discounts in the Promotions screen. |
| Campaign | The campaign name, if any, from which the opportunity originated or which you want to associate with the opportunity. |
| Competition | Name of the competitor for the opportunity. |
| Next Step | You can write quick notes about the opportunity here such as related calls, emails, tasks, etc. You can also mention the succeeding stage of the opportunity's sales cycle. |
| Contacts: Primary Contact | You can select the primary contact for this opportunity from the drop-down. The list contains the contacts that you have set in the Prospects screen. If a primary contact is not specified here, the email ID of the prospect associated with the opportunity is used for sending emails. |
| Conclusion: Closed On | Date when the opportunity is closed, whether it was won or lost. |
| Closed Amount | Amount at which the deal is finalized or closed with the prospect. It can be the proposal or quote amount, weighted value, or any other amount. If the opportunity stage is set as 'Lost', the closed amount is automatically zero. If the opportunity is won and converted to a project, the closed amount becomes its contract amount. |
| Loss Reason | In case the opportunity is lost, then you can provide a reason for that loss. This field is available only when the Stage field is set to Lost. |
| Opportunities > Overview > | |
| Stage | The current stage of the opportunity. It shows at the top right of every tab. You can select a different stage from the drop-down. If the new stage is a Won stage, the Mark as Won dialog opens. |
| Shortcuts | Quick links to the client, Pursuit Project and Execution Project linked to the opportunity. A project link shows only after the project is created or linked. |
| Pursuit Time | Hours recorded on the Pursuit Project of the opportunity, grouped by approval status. Click + Add Time Entry to record time on the Pursuit Project. If the opportunity does not have a Pursuit Project, this card shows No Pursuit Project linked. Click + Create Pursuit Project to create one. |
| Pursuit Expenses | Expenses recorded on the Pursuit Project of the opportunity, grouped by approval status. Click + Add Expense Entry to record an expense on the Pursuit Project. |
| To-Dos | To-dos for the opportunity. Click + to add a to-do. Click the To-Dos heading to see all to-dos on the To-Dos tab. |
| Notes | Notes for the opportunity. Click + to add a note. Click the Notes heading to see all notes on the Notes tab. |
| Recent Activity |
Change history of the opportunity, most recent first. Each entry shows the change, the user who made it and the date. The attributes that are tracked include Priority, Stage, Status, Opportunity Value, Probability, Weighted Value, Target Date, Expiration Date, Sales Goal, Next Steps, Closed On, Closed Amount, etc. For example, “Probability changed from 92.00 to 35.00”. CORE also adds automatic notes when any of these attributes change, e.g., “Sally changed the target date from 4/15/2026 to 5/7/2026”. Click Show More to see older changes. |
| Planning: Next Step | Quick notes about the opportunity, such as related calls, emails or the next stage of its sales cycle. You can change it here. |
| Priority | The priority of the opportunity, e.g., High, Critical or Low. You can change it here. |
| Opportunity Value | Monetary value or worth of an opportunity. You can change it here. |
| Probability % | Current possibility of winning the opportunity. This value is in percentage, say 35%. It cannot be more than 100. You can change it here. |
| Weighted Value | Revenue that you expect from the opportunity. It is calculated as Probability % x Opportunity Value. CORE updates it when you change the opportunity value or probability. |
| Target date | The realistic close date by which you want to win the opportunity. You can change it here. |
| Expiration date | The last expected close date of the opportunity. It cannot be earlier than the target date. You can change it here. |
| General Information: Type | The type of the opportunity, e.g., new business, existing business, renewal, etc. To change the General Information fields, click the edit icon. It opens the Settings tab. |
| Description | Description or other information about the opportunity, such as additional licenses. |
| Sales goal | The sales goal associated with the opportunity. |
| Competition | Name of the competitor for the opportunity. |
| Team: Assigned to | This is the sales person to whom the opportunity is assigned. You can change it here. |
| Client: Client | This is the client associated with the opportunity. Click the client name to open the client record. |
| Address | Address associated with the opportunity. |
| Primary Contact | The primary contact for the opportunity, with the email address and phone number. |
| Assets: Proposals | Number of proposals for the opportunity. |
| Quotes | Number of quotes for the opportunity. |
| Documents | Number of documents attached to the opportunity. |
| Related: Project template | The template for the project to be created if the opportunity is won. |
| Pursuit Project | The Pursuit Project linked to the opportunity. Click it to open the project. |
| Execution Project | The project created for the work when the opportunity is won. Click it to open the project. |
| Opportunities > Settings > Related > | |
| Pursuit Project | Project that tracks the time and expenses spent on winning the opportunity. Click Choose Project to link an existing project, say a business development project. You can also unlink it. Unlinking does not delete the project. |
| Execution Project | The project created for the work when the opportunity is won. Click Choose Project to link an existing project. A project can be linked to only one opportunity. |
| Project Template | The template for the project to be created if the opportunity is won. |
| Opportunities > Proposal > | |
| Create Proposal | Select From Scratch to create a new proposal, or From Template to create the proposal from a proposal template. |
| Proposal Template | Template used to create the new proposal. It is available only if you select Create Proposal: From Template. |
| Proposal Name | This is the unique display name of a proposal. It can be numbers, letters or a combination of both. CORE pre-fills it with the opportunity name. |
| Description | Description or additional information about the proposal. CORE pre-fills it with the opportunity name. |
| Proposal Date | Date of the proposal. It is set to today by default. |
| Primary | When there are multiple proposals, you can indicate which one is most likely going to be approved by the prospect. It might not be the most recent one. Only one proposal can be indicated as 'primary' and it cannot be made inactive. |
| Amount | Total amount quoted on a proposal, which includes services, expenses, subtotals, discounts and taxes. |
| Type | Format of the proposal, say HTML for a proposal built in CORE Proposal Builder or Word for a proposal created in Microsoft Word. |
| Opportunities > Proposal > Create Proposal > | |
| Proposal Name | This is the unique display name of a proposal. It can be numbers, letters or a combination of both. When you create a proposal from a template, enter the name of the new proposal. |
| Proposal Date | Date of the proposal. You must enter a date to create the proposal. |
| Description | Description or additional information about the proposal. When you create a proposal from a template, CORE fills it in from the template. You can edit it. |
| Opportunities > Proposal > Proposal Details > | |
| Quote | Quote linked to the proposal. When you create a proposal, CORE links the primary quote of the opportunity. You can select another quote of the opportunity from the list, or click Create Quote to add a new one. Click the icon next to the quote to open it. If the selected quote is not marked as primary, CORE shows a warning below the field. |
| Proposal Amount | Total amount of the proposal. CORE takes it from the quote linked to the proposal. You cannot edit it on this panel. |
| Created On / Created By | Date the proposal was created and the user who created it. |
| Last Updated On / Last Updated By | Date the proposal was last changed and the user who changed it. |
| View all details | Opens the proposal on the Proposals screen, where you can see all its details, including its to-dos and notes. |
| View all proposals for this opportunity | Opens the Proposals screen filtered to the proposals of this opportunity. |
| Opportunities > Quotes > | |
| Primary |
When there are multiple quotes, you can indicate which one is most likely going to be approved by the prospect. It might not be the most recent one. Only one quote can be indicated as 'primary'. CORE marks every new quote as primary for a specific opportunity. If there is only one quote for an opportunity, it is set as the primary quote by default. |
| Amount | Total amount mentioned on a quote, which includes services, expenses, subtotals, discounts, and taxes. |
| Quote ID | It is the primary, unique identifier of a quote that is used for reference. A quote is generated for internal use and, therefore, should not repeat. |
| Created By | This is a read-only field that is pre-filled with the logged-in user. |
| Create Quote | Select From Scratch to create a blank quote, or From Template to create the quote from a template. |
| Project Template | You can select a project template to prepare a detailed estimate based on each phase in the template. |
| Miscellaneous Amount | It can be the contingency expenses for the quote. |
Opportunities > Mark as Won/Convert to Project > | |
| Select Do not create new Project to mark the opportunity as won without creating a project. You can create the project later. Select Create new Project to create the project right away. After you click Mark As Won, the Create Project dialog opens. | |
|
From Template |
If you are creating a new project using a template, CORE pre-fills the selected project template as the default template for this opportunity (you can change this template, if needed). It is the same as creating a new project, except that the project's structure is based on the selected template. |
| Project Name | Name of the new project. CORE pre-fills it with the opportunity name. You can change it. |
| Project ID | Unique ID of the new project. CORE pre-fills it, say 26-014. You can change it. |
| Client associated with the project. Prospective Client is the default client of a project created from an opportunity while it is in-progress and not won yet. If an opportunity is converted to a project, its prospect becomes the client of that converted project. | |
| Person who manages the project. You can assign employees as well as vendors (contract employees and outside consultants) as project managers. | |
| Contract Type |
It determines the billing arrangement of a project. Whether a project is billed per hour, lump sum, or not billed at all, it is a best practice to record time and expenses against it to take advantage of the project management features in CORE. |
| Contract Amount |
This is the total consideration for the project (billable and non-billable Service Amount + non-billable Expense Amount). You can include or exclude billable expenses and taxes in this amount, depending on how you bill. Although contract amount is required for fixed-type contracts, it is a good practice to set it for hourly projects as well. When you enter the contract amount, the Service Amount gets pre-filled by this entire amount by default. You can then manually assign some portion of it to the Expense Amount. Example: If the contract amount of a main or parent project, NET-001, is $100,000 and Phase A is 60% of the total project, then CORE assigns $60,000 to NET-001:A. |
| Status | Status of the new project, say Active. |
| Project Fee Schedule | Allows you to override the default employee bill and cost rates with special rates. Use for Budget Fee Schedule checkbox determines whether the budget for a new project should automatically use the same fee schedule as project. By default, when a new project is created, the budget will automatically inherit the same fee schedule as the project. You can select a different budget fee schedule from the drop-down menu when this option is unchecked. |
| Update client contact | You can convert the associated prospect contacts to client contacts. When a project is already linked with the opportunity, this is not needed as linked project can be with any client. You can update client contacts only in case they are converted from prospects. |
| Create a budget from the service and expenses line items found on the quote | Check this option to create a new budget from the service and expense line items found on the primary quote associated with the opportunity. |
| Pursuit Project Hierarchy |
Select what happens to the Pursuit Project of the opportunity:
Fold in is selected by default. In both cases, the Pursuit Project stays linked to the opportunity. |
| Opportunities > Add & Modify Pursuit To-Dos > | |
| Description | Name or description of the to-do. |
| Due Date | Date the to-do needs to be completed by. |
| Action | Type or category of to-dos in CORE Pursuit, say email or phone call with a prospect on an opportunity. |
| Assigned To | You can assign a to-do to a sales person. |
| Priority | Indicates the priority of the to-do, whether high, low or medium. |
| Status | Indicates whether a to-do is active, on hold, inactive, completed, etc. |
Create Opportunities
To create an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- Click Create Opportunity at the top right.
- On the Create Opportunity screen, enter the required information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Opportunity
- Type
- Client
- Stage: set to the first stage by default
- Target Date: set to one month from today by default
- Enter other information about the opportunity, if needed. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Description
- Assigned To
- Opportunity Value
- Probability %: set to 25 by default
- Weighted Value: calculated from Opportunity Value and Probability %
- Sales Goal
- Project Template: for the project to be created if the opportunity is won
- Address
- Click Save. The opportunity opens on its Overview tab.
Note: You can also add opportunities from the Opportunities tab of a client. This option is available only with a CORE Pursuit subscription and the required security permissions.
Switch Between List and Card View
The card view shows your opportunities in a column for each opportunity stage. It helps you see how many opportunities are in each stage and what they are worth.
To switch between the list and card views, follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- Click the Card View icon to the left of Actions. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
-
To return to the list view, click the Table View icon.
In the card view, you can change the stage of an opportunity by dragging its card to another stage column. If the new stage has a workflow action, CORE prompts you to create a Pursuit Project or an Execution Project. If the new stage is a Won stage, the Mark as Won dialog opens.
Note: The filters you apply stay the same when you switch between the list and card views. CORE opens the Opportunities screen in the view you used last. You need the security permission to edit opportunities to drag cards.
Review Opportunities in the Snapshot Panel
The Snapshot panel lets you review and update an opportunity without leaving the Opportunities screen. You can change the stage, assignee, target date, and next step, and add notes and to-dos. You can then move to the next opportunity in the same panel.
To review an opportunity in the Snapshot panel, follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- Open the panel in one of these ways:
- List view: point to an opportunity and click Snapshot next to its name.
- Card view: click an opportunity card.
- Change the Stage, Assigned To, Target Date, or Next Step, as needed. Changes save automatically. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Under To-Dos or Notes, click + to add a to-do or a note.
- Click the next arrow to move to the next opportunity.
Assign Groups
This option allows you to quickly assign opportunities to a group or view whether the selected opportunity is a member of any existing group.
To assign an opportunity to a group, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid and click
to select View Details.
- In the detail view, go to the Settings > Details tab and click Assign Group(s).
- On the Assign Groups dialog, select the desired group for the opportunity. By default, the All group is assigned and set as the default group for all opportunities.
- Click Update.
- You can create new groups or manage them by clicking Manage Groups.
You can also check the detailed video about creating and managing groups in CORE.
Add Custom Fields
Using custom fields, you can track extra characteristics and attributes of your opportunities. You can even customize these fields in the Custom Labels screen. For example, if you want to track the 'Sales Cycle' for the opportunity, you can easily do that by creating a new custom field and label.
To add a custom field to an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click
- In the detail view, go to the Settings > Custom Fields tab.
- Click Add Custom Field and select the type of field you want depending on the purpose, say Text Box.
- On the Add Text Box dialog, enter the required information:
- Name
- Type
- # of Characters
- Check Show in List View if you want this field to appear under the Show/Hide Columns list and show up on the grid. Click Save.
Note: You can display a maximum of three custom fields on the list view per screen.
You can also check the detailed video on managing custom fields in CORE.
Add Proposals
You can add and associate proposals to the opportunities. When there are multiple proposals, you can indicate which proposal the prospect is most likely going to approve. So after adding proposals, you can set a proposal as a primary or main proposal for an opportunity. It might not be the most recent one. Only one proposal can be indicated as 'primary'.
To add a proposal to an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid and click
- In the detail view, go to the Proposal tab.
- Click Add Proposal.
- On the Add New Proposal dialog, enter the details of the new proposal. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Create Proposal: From Scratch or From Template
- Proposal Template (if you select From Template)
- Proposal Name
- Description
- Proposal Date
Click Add Proposal. The new proposal gets saved and displays in the grid.
Select a proposal on the grid and click
You can view the details of this proposal and make edits from there.
Note: These steps apply when the Proposal Format of your firm is set to CORE Proposal Builder under Settings > Pursuit > General. If your firm uses Microsoft Word, check the Create Proposals in Microsoft Word task below.
Create Proposals in Microsoft Word
When the Proposal Format of your firm is set to Microsoft Word, you create proposals from the Proposal tab of an opportunity. You can start from scratch and upload your own Word file, or start from a Word proposal template. CORE fills in the Smart Fields in the document with client, opportunity, and quote data, and shows the proposal as a PDF preview. For details on Smart Fields in Word, check Proposal Templates.
Before you create a proposal, create a quote for the opportunity on the Quotes tab and mark it as primary. CORE takes the Proposal Amount from this quote. If the opportunity has no quote, or none of its quotes is marked as primary, the Create Proposal dialog shows a recommendation. You can still create the proposal.
To create a proposal from scratch, follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click the opportunity to open it.
- Go to the Proposal tab and click Create From Scratch.
- On the Create Proposal dialog, enter the required information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Proposal Name
- Proposal Date
- Description
- Click Create Proposal. The Proposal tab prompts you to upload the proposal in Word format.
- Click Upload Proposal and select your Word file.
CORE fills in the Smart Fields and shows the proposal as a PDF preview on the Proposal tab.
Note: CORE accepts Word files in .docx format only.
To create a proposal from a template, follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click the opportunity to open it.
- Go to the Proposal tab and click Create From Template.
- On the Choose a Template dialog, select a proposal template from the list. CORE shows a preview of the template.
- Click Continue.
- On the Create Proposal dialog, enter or edit the details of the new proposal. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Proposal Name
- Proposal Date
- Description
- Click Create Proposal.
CORE copies the Word file of the template into the new proposal, fills in the Smart Fields and shows the PDF preview. You do not need to upload a file.
Note: When the Proposal Format of your firm is set to CORE Proposal Builder, the Proposal tab of an opportunity lists the proposals of that opportunity. Click a proposal to open it on the Proposals screen.
Manage Proposals
After you create a proposal in Microsoft Word, the Proposal tab of the opportunity shows the primary proposal as a PDF preview, with the Proposal Details panel on the right. You can update, share, and reuse the proposal without leaving the opportunity.
The toolbar above the preview offers these actions:
- Upload New Version: Replaces the Word file of the proposal with a new version, for example after you edit the proposal in Word.
- Email: Opens the Compose Email screen with the proposal attached as a PDF file.
- Download: Downloads the proposal as a PDF file.
- Print: Opens the print preview of your browser for the proposal.
- Save As Template: Saves the proposal as a proposal template, so you can reuse it for your next pursuit.
In the Proposal Details panel, you can change the Proposal Name, Proposal Date, Description and Quote. CORE saves your changes automatically when you click away from a field or pick a date. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
To edit the content of a proposal, follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click the opportunity to open it and go to the Proposal tab.
- In the Proposal Details panel, click View all details. The proposal opens on the Proposals screen.
- Go to the Word Preview tab and click Actions > Download as Word (.docx). The downloaded file has the Smart Fields filled in.
- Edit the proposal in Microsoft Word and save it as a .docx file.
- Go back to the Proposal tab of the opportunity, click Upload New Version, and select the edited file.
CORE replaces the proposal file and shows the new version in the preview.
Note: You cannot delete a proposal from the Proposal tab. To delete it, click View all details or View all proposals for this opportunity, and delete it from the Proposals screen.
Add Documents
To add a document to an opportunity record, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid and click
- In the detail view, go to the Documents tab and click Add.
- On the Add Documents dialog, select the relevant tab, depending on the type of attachment.
- Computer: To attach files stored on your computer, enter its Description and drag your file or click to browse to that location.
- Hyperlink: To attach an external link, enter its Description and then insert the hyperlink.
- Dropbox: To link files stored in your Dropbox account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- Google Drive: To link files stored in your Google Drive account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- OneDrive: To link files stored in your Microsoft OneDrive account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- Box: To link files stored in your Box account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- Resource Library: To link company resources, select the resource from the library.
- Click Add.
CORE pre-fills some of the information about the attached documents in the grid. You can send the documents to your clients, employees or other contacts for getting their digital or electronic signatures (eSignature via DocuSign) using the eSign option from the row-action menu. CORE automatically adds the signed documents to the Documents folder of the entity (record) as separate attachments. It displays the status of the document, whether it has been delivered via DocuSign, viewed by the recipients, declined or completed by the recipients, etc. This column does not show up if you are not connected via the DocuSign integration. You can also check the detailed video on managing documents in CORE.
Add Quotes
You can add quotes to the opportunities. When there are multiple quotes, you can indicate which quote the prospect is most likely going to approve. So after adding quotes, you can set a quote as a primary or main quote for an opportunity. It might not be the most recent one. Only one quote can be indicated as 'primary'.
To add a quote to an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid and click
- In the detail view, go to the Quotes tab.
- Click Add Quote.
- On the Add New Quote dialog, enter the details of the new quote. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Quote ID
- Created By
- Create Quote: From Scratch or From Template
- Project Template
- Miscellaneous Amount
Click Add Quote. The new quote gets saved and displays in the grid.
You can add more quotes. Select a quote on the grid and click
You can view details of this quote and make edits from there.
Add To-Dos
You can create and view to-dos for your opportunities on this screen. These to-dos can be tasks or action items for the opportunities. CORE allows you to add to-dos from the detail view, the Overview tab, the Snapshot panel and the list view (row action menu). The Type is pre-filled based on the screen where you are adding the to-do. The ID is pre-filled based on the record to which you are adding the to-do. CORE allows you to create time entries from your to-dos.
To add a new to-do task for an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid and click
- In the detail view, go to the To-Dos tab.
- Enter the required information in the top row of the grid:
- Description
- Start Date
- Due Date
- Assigned To
- Priority: level ranging from low to high
- Click Done.
After saving, you can click Detail to view details of the to-do.
You can also add Pursuit To-Dos from the list view.
To add a Pursuit To-Do from the list view, follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click To-Dos on the opportunity row.
- On the Add & Modify Pursuit To-Dos dialog, enter the required information in the top row of the grid. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Description
- Due Date
- Remind On
- Action
- Assigned To
- Priority
- Status
- Click Save on the row, and then click Close. You can track all your to-dos on the Pursuit To-Dos screen. If you are the assignee, CORE sends you a push notification when the to-do is created or reassigned to you.
You can also add a to-do from the Overview tab of the opportunity. Click + on the To-Dos card, enter the required information on the Create To-Do dialog and click Create To-Do.
You can also check the detailed video on managing to-dos in CORE.
Note: You can create time entries from the selected to-dos by clicking Actions > Create Time Entry. CORE also prompts you to create time entries when you update the to-do status to Complete or mark % Complete to 100%.
Add Notes
You can add, review, and edit notes for your opportunities from the detail view and the Overview tab. CORE auto-generates a note for any automated touch-points like when to-dos are completed, attributes tracked in Recent Activity are changed, such as opportunity stage, values, dates, etc. CORE also allows you to quickly add and modify notes from the list view. It also displays a badge for the number of notes attached to the opportunity. You can quickly preview the notes by hovering over the Notes link.
To add a new note for an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid and click Notes on that row for quick access.
- On the Add & Modify Notes dialog, enter the Date, Category, Description and Status in the top row of the grid.
- Click Save on the row, and then click Close.
- Alternatively, click
- In the detail view, go to the Notes tab.
- Enter the required information in the top row of the grid:
- Category
- Description
- Status
Click Save on the row.
You can also add a note from the Overview tab of the opportunity. Click + on the Notes card, enter the Description on the Create Note dialog and click Create Note.
You can also check the detailed video on managing notes in CORE.
Mark Opportunities as Won
Opportunities can be won or lost. When opportunities are won in Pursuit, projects can be created, worked on and eventually billed based on the proposals or quotes. The prospects become clients in this process and their contacts can be converted to client contacts. When you close the opportunities and mark them as 'won', CORE allows you to create the associated projects based on the opportunities and budgets from the service and expense line items found on the primary quote. If opportunities already have a project linked to them and then are won, you can keep the linked projects or create new ones for them. You do have an option to merge entries from the old projects to the new ones.
The project you create for a won opportunity is called the Execution Project. If the opportunity has a Pursuit Project, you can make it a phase of the Execution Project or keep it as a separate project. For details, check Pursuit Projects.
You can also mark an opportunity as won by moving it to a Won stage. The Mark as Won dialog opens.
Note: If a prospect is already a client and has a default fee schedule, it auto-inherits the record here. You can still edit it as needed.
To mark an opportunity as won, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid that you want to mark and click
- On the Mark as Won dialog, enter the required information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Under Project Options, select Do not create new Project or Create new Project. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Click Mark As Won. If you selected Create new Project, the Create Project dialog opens. Enter the project details and click Create Project. Check Field Descriptions above for details. CORE creates the project, links it to the opportunity as its Execution Project, and moves the opportunity to the Won stage.
Note: When a project is created from a won opportunity, it auto-inherits documents from the opportunity into the new project.
Convert Opportunities to Projects
Opportunities can be won or lost. Whether opportunities are won in Pursuit or still in progress, projects can be linked to the opportunities, worked on and eventually billed based on the proposals or quotes. The prospects become clients in this process. CORE prompts you to create projects from scratch or templates based on the opportunities won. These converted projects inherit the opportunity attributes, but you can change the values later. If a project template is selected for the opportunity, the project phases are included in the conversion, and each phase also inherits the opportunity's address.
Note: If you reconvert an opportunity that already has a linked project and choose to merge entries, the merged phases retain their existing addresses and also receive the opportunity’s address, rather than replacing the existing address.
To convert an opportunity to a project, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid that you want to convert to a project and click
- On the Convert to Project dialog, enter the required information to create a new project based on this opportunity. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Next, select the Project Options. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Keep linked Project
- Create new Project
- Select Create new Project and click Next.
- On the Create Project dialog, enter the required information to convert the opportunity to a project. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- From Scratch or From Template
- Project Template: if you select From Template
- Project Name
- Project ID
- Client: associated with the project
- Manager: person who manages the project
- Contract Type
- Contract Amount: CORE fills in the closed amount
- Split Amount: divides the contract amount into Service Amount and Expense Amount
- Status
- Project Fee Schedule
- Pursuit Project Hierarchy: Fold in or Keep standalone, if the opportunity has a Pursuit Project
- Update Client contact: You can convert the associated prospect contacts to client contacts.
- Create a budget from the service and expenses line items found on the quote
- Click Create Project.
- CORE creates the project and links it to the opportunity as its Execution Project. You can open it from Shortcuts at the top of the opportunity.
Note: You cannot delete projects that are linked to opportunities in CORE.
Clone Opportunities
You can clone or duplicate existing opportunities to save time in creating new ones. While cloning opportunities, the details of the source opportunity passes on to the cloned opportunity. You can change some of the attributes or settings of the new opportunity. The variations can be fine-tuned later.
To clone an opportunity, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, select an opportunity on the grid that you want to clone and click
- On the Opportunity Clone dialog, enter the required information:
- Click Clone.
The newly cloned opportunity displays in the grid. You can also check the detailed video on cloning records in CORE.
Batch Update Opportunities
Making batch changes to the opportunities is an irreversible process. Batch update also allows you to reset the values to none if the field is not required.
To batch update opportunity information, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- Select the opportunity records on the grid that you want to change and click Actions > Batch Update.
- On the Batch Update screen, select the relevant fields and enter new values for them.
- Check the disclaimer at the bottom and click Update.
Note: When you batch update Probability %, enter the value directly instead of using a slider. CORE accepts values from 1 to 100 and displays an inline message if the value is outside this range. When Probability % is updated, CORE automatically recalculates the opportunity's Weighted Value. This applies to both Batch Update and the row-level Update Probability. When you batch update Stage, CORE applies the default probability of the new stage to each opportunity, if the stage has one. Otherwise, each opportunity keeps its current probability. - To edit a single opportunity, select the opportunity on the grid and click
- The opportunity opens on the Overview tab. Change the stage or the Planning fields, as needed. These changes save automatically. To change other details, go to the Settings tab.
- Click Save or Save & Close.
You can also check the detailed video on batch updating records in CORE.
Show/Hide Columns in Grid
You can configure the fields or columns that appear on the grid in the list view. You can hide or show columns, and sort the order of columns according to your requirements.
To do so, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click More > Show/Hide Columns on the action bar.
- Select or un-select the column names in the drop-down list, say Type.
- Next, click the column name you want to sort the data by, say Stage.
- Click once for ascending order (A-Z) and twice for descending order (Z-A).
Note: You can resize the column widths on the grid and then reset them, if needed (More > Reset Column Widths).
You can also check the detailed video on navigation and customizing grids in CORE.
Export Opportunities
In CORE, you can export opportunities to the Comma Separated Values file format. CORE exports data from all available columns and not just the columns visible in the grid.
To export opportunity records to a .CSV file, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click More > Export as CSV.
- A .csv export file is created and saved on your system at the default download location, say your desktop. Click to open the spreadsheet.
You can also check the detailed video on exporting data in CORE.
View Reports
To view a report, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click More > View Reports.
- Select a report from the Report List dialog. It opens in the viewer.
- Preview the report and then choose to export or print it.
You can also check the detailed video on running and managing reports in CORE.
Apply Filters
When using the filter search or applying filters, CORE intelligently updates the info bars to reflect the values of the filtered list. Filters you apply carry over between the list view and the card view. Besides filtering data using the standard fields on a screen, you can also use the custom fields for that, if you have set them up.
To view selective data on the grid, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click
on the right.
- On the Filters panel, select a filter from the drop-down and specify individual records or range.
- Click Add Filters to specify more filters.
- When you have finished, click Apply Filter. You can see selective data now.
- In the list view, you can remove the individual filters by clicking
on each. To disable applied filters temporarily or remove all filters, click
next to the Filters icon and select Disable Filters or Clear All, respectively.
You can also check the detailed video on applying filters in CORE.
Mark Screen as Favorite
You can mark or flag the most-often used and important screens in CORE as your favorites up to a maximum of ten. These favorite screens then display separately on the main menu under the Favorites list. You can manage all your favorite screens in CORE from User Settings.
To mark this screen as your favorite, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Opportunities screen from the side menu > Pursuit.
- In the list view, click
on the top right.
- You can access this screen from the side menu under Favorites.
You can also check the detailed video on marking screens as favorite in CORE.