How To Link Meeting To Opportunity Automatically

I'm new to SugarCRM and SugarClub.  My company is using the Enterprise 10.2 onsite edition.  I have a question in regards to linking meetings to multiple modules.  For instance, we have SDR(Sales Development Reps) that their entire job is to call leads to setup an appointment.  Once call is finished and prior to creating meeting, they first convert the lead to a contact and account.  Then from the contact record view they create the meeting for that individual and add our AE(Account Executives) as a guest.  Once meeting webinar is done the AE marks as completed and, determining by interest level, the AE creates an opportunity for that contact.  I want the Meeting to automatically link to the opportunity as well?  Any thoughts on how this could be done, or would this cause issues I'm not seeing?  Since I'm new and still learning, I loved to hear best practices and different ideas/solutions.  The  reason behind this, the AE wants to be able to see meetings associated to Opportunities when their in that view, as well see it from the contact level for SDRs to see as well.  I don't want SDRs worrying about opportunities or creating them either.  Also, it adds another step if they have to go in and link the meeting from the opportunities module, I want something more efficient.

  • Hello Sean,

    I wonder if they (AE, SDR, ect) do well what they do why to ask them do smth with the new tool? Do they or management expect smth in return on their efforts?

    I'm trying to say that a lot of things could be managed via Sugar interface, the most of ideas you have mentioned could be configured with out of the box tools like SugarBPM, Studio,  Sugar Logic (calculated fields), configurators like Logic Builder or employing add-ons...

    But the question is what the purpose of CRM tool deployment is for your company; what business challenges your company eager to solve by investing in Sugar Ent subscription and further configuring efforts.

    As operational tool, Sugar is highly flexible - so many roads, so it actually makes sense to set the aim prior starting the trip.

    Best,

    Dmytro Chupylka,

    dch@integroscrm.com

    http://integroscrm.com

    Best Regards,
    Dmytro Chupylka

    integroscrm.com
    We make work in Sugar CRM system faster, more convenient and efficient

  • Hello Sean
    This is possible and can be configured in different ways.
    No hidden risks to link a Meeting with Opp, but you should remember that out-of-the-box a meeting can be joined with only one Sugar entity in addition to the contact.
    If you link a meeting with Opp, you can't see this meeting on an Account level, for example. But to see meetings on the account level can be more important if you use the Account Management approach. It depends :)

    Regarding your question about best practice,

    We have automated Customer Development Processes for one of our customers (an international IT company). A Lead's transferring from SDR to AE was very similar to a described. 

    The best way we have found to do AE-/SDR-work effective was to create a small custom form where AE could set in one step the following: meeting status, meeting minutes, the strategy of further development (not relevant, nurturing, postpone, etc.), and Opp's parameters if it appropriate. Based on this form's data, we start appropriate workflows plus automatically create all necessary, like linking a meeting with an Account and add Notest with Meeting minutes to a new opportunity.

    But, as Dmytro said, the choice of way depends on expectations :).

    In our particular case, we had to ensure the following:

    • save time for all employees and decrease mistakes of SDR and AE as much as possible
    • ensure unbreaking the process of Prospects' development on the departments' junctions
    • automate the calculation of actual status of relations with each lead, contact, account based on all amount of information
    • collect information to find ways to improve all processes (research, lead generation, lead qualification, ...)
    • quick response on changes in processes

    To do this, we used custom forms for user-friendly data collection, SugarBPM to configure workflows, Logic Builder to configure data processing quickly. 

    If you would like to know more, feel free to contact Dmytro or me directly (nikolay.bulava@integroscrm.com)

    Regards,
    Nikolay

    Integroscrm.com
    We make work in Sugar
    more convenient and efficient

  • Hi Dmytro,

    The AE and SDR aren't doing well with the current setup, that's why I'm trying to find a better alternative.  There are many different steps they have to take to accomplish what they want, I hope to eliminate some of those steps to create a more efficient work flow. 

  • Hi ,

    what do you think about an additional many-to-many relationship between Meetings and Opportunities to remember Opportunity relevant Meetings? Just add such a relationship like this e.g. in the Opportunity module:

    Then you will see additional subpanels in Opportunities and Meetings for AE Meetings and AE Opportunities. This kind of relationship can even help to define very specific reports for the AE's.

    Harald Kuske
    Principal Solution Architect – Professional Services, EMEA
    hkuske@sugarcrm.com
    SugarCRM Deutschland GmbH