Template
CRM Setup Template for SMEs
A starter CRM field and process template SMEs can adapt in a day — not a month.
Summary
The smallest usable CRM is a contact, a stage, a next-step, and notes. Every other field is optional until someone actually uses it.
Who this template is for
SMEs setting up a CRM for the first time, or cleaning up one nobody uses. Works with HubSpot Free, Pipedrive, Zoho, Salesforce Starter, and most spreadsheets.
Core fields (required)
- Contact name
- Company
- Email, Phone
- Source (how they found us)
- Deal name
- Deal value
- Stage
- Next step (free text)
- Next step date
- Owner
Stages (pick 4-6 max)
- New — just came in
- Contacted — reached out, awaiting response
- Qualified — fit, budget, timing confirmed
- Proposal — quote sent
- Won
- Lost (with reason field)
Optional fields (add only when used)
- Industry / segment
- Close date estimate
- Referrer
- Lost reason (required when stage = Lost)
- Tags
Weekly process
- Monday: review deals with missing or overdue next step
- Friday: move stages forward for the week's activity
- Monthly: review Lost reasons and Won patterns
Common mistakes
- Too many stages — nobody updates them
- Too many custom fields — only build fields you'll filter on
- No Lost reason — you lose the ability to learn from losses
- Letting old deals linger — auto-age to Lost after N days of inactivity
Frequently asked questions
How long should setup take?
Under 4 hours for fields and stages. Getting the team to actually use it takes 4-6 weeks.
Next step
Keep exploring related resources to strengthen this area of the business.
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