Lead vs Opportunity Odoo 18 CRM

Sales teams drowning in contacts lose opportunities: marketing generates 500 monthly inquiries but no system separates qualified buyers from casual browsers, salespeople waste hours calling leads who aren't ready to purchase while hot prospects go cold waiting for follow-up, conversion rates stay below 2% because everyone treated the same regardless of buying intent—resulting in missed revenue because no process distinguishes genuine opportunities from early-stage interest.

Odoo 18 CRM separates Leads from Opportunities to optimize sales workflow: Leads are unqualified contacts showing initial interest (form submissions, newsletter signups, cold outreach responses), while Opportunities are qualified prospects actively engaged in sales cycle with assigned revenue expectations, probability scores, and pipeline stages. This distinction prevents wasted effort on unready contacts, focuses sales energy on closeable deals, and provides clear qualification criteria—improving conversion rates 3-5x through proper lead nurturing and opportunity management.

Understanding Leads vs Opportunities

Key Differences: Lead vs Opportunity

Aspect	Lead	Opportunity
Status	Unqualified contact	Qualified prospect
Sales Activity	None or minimal (qualification only)	Active engagement (demos, proposals, quotes)
Revenue Tracking	No expected revenue assigned	Expected revenue + closing probability
Pipeline Stage	Not in sales pipeline	Tracked through pipeline stages (New → Qualified → Proposition → Won)
Source Examples	Website form, social media, cold email, event signup	Converted from qualified lead or direct entry
Salesperson Assignment	Optional (may use lead routing)	Always assigned to specific salesperson
Next Actions	Qualify or disqualify	Move through sales stages to close

When to Use Leads vs Opportunities

Enabling Lead Management in Odoo 18

Lead functionality is optional in Odoo 18 CRM. Enable it based on your sales process complexity.

Creating Leads in Odoo 18

Leads can be generated automatically from various channels or created manually. Odoo 18 introduces a redesigned interface with auto-save functionality and repositioned action buttons.

Manual Lead Creation:

1. Go to CRM → Leads
2. Click New button (now positioned in upper right corner)
3. Fill in lead information:
   • Lead Title: Brief description of opportunity
   • Company Name: Organization name (will become partner upon conversion)
   • Contact Name: Primary contact person
   • Email & Phone: Contact details
   • Address, City, Country: Location information
   • Website: Company website URL
   • Job Position: Contact's role
   • Language: Preferred communication language
   • Tags: Categorization labels
4. Assign Salesperson and Sales Team
5. Set Priority using star rating (Low, Medium, High, Very High)
6. Information auto-saves (no Save button required in Odoo 18)

Automated Lead Generation:

Odoo integrates with multiple channels to automatically create leads:

• Website Forms: Contact forms, quote requests, demo signups
• Email: Incoming emails to sales@ or info@ addresses
• Live Chat: Website chat conversations
• Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn integrations
• SMS: Text message inquiries
• Events: Trade show registrations, webinar attendees
• Helpdesk: Support tickets converted to sales leads

Use the Generate Leads button to create leads automatically based on predefined criteria and rules.

Managing the CRM Pipeline

The CRM pipeline organizes opportunities by sales stage. Access via CRM → Sales → My Pipeline. Odoo 18 features a completely redesigned, colorful interface.

Pipeline Views Available:

• Kanban: Visual board with drag-and-drop stage movement
• List: Detailed table view with all opportunity fields
• Calendar: Time-based visualization of activities and deadlines
• Pivot: Cross-tabular analysis for reporting
• Graph: Charts showing pipeline metrics
• Map: Geographic distribution of opportunities
• Activity: Activity timeline and task management

Default Pipeline Stages:

Customizing Pipeline Stages:

Create stages matching your specific sales process:

1. Click + Stage button in Kanban view
2. Enter stage name in new column
3. Click Add to create stage
4. Click gear icon next to stage name to configure:
   • Is Won Stage: Mark as winning stage for reporting
   • Folded in Pipeline: Collapse stage in Kanban view
   • Sales Team: Restrict stage to specific team
   • Requirements: Add criteria to reach this stage
5. Choose stage actions: Fold, Edit, Automate, Delete

Pipeline Features in Odoo 18

Expected Revenue Tracking:

Each pipeline stage displays total expected revenue in the upper right corner. Revenue automatically updates when opportunities move between stages using drag-and-drop.

Priority Marking:

Assign 1-3 stars to each opportunity indicating priority level (Medium, High, Very High). Helps identify high-value deals requiring immediate attention.

Activity Scheduling:

Schedule activities directly from pipeline using the clock icon on each opportunity card:

1. Click clock icon on opportunity
2. Select Schedule An Activity
3. Choose Activity Type (Call, Meeting, Email, To-Do)
4. Enter activity summary in Summary field
5. Assign to team member in Assigned To
6. Set Due Date
7. Click Schedule to save

Call Queue Feature (New in Odoo 18):

Add opportunities to call queue with single click. Icon appears next to activity scheduler. Click again to remove from queue. Helps salespeople organize daily calling lists efficiently.

Quick Add Feature:

Create opportunities directly in pipeline stages using the + icon next to stage name:

1. Click + icon in desired stage
2. Enter opportunity details:
   • Contact or Company Name
   • Opportunity Title
   • Phone Number
   • Email Address
   • Expected Revenue
3. Click Add to create (or Edit for detailed form)

Converting Leads to Opportunities

Once a lead is qualified, convert it to an opportunity to begin active sales engagement. Odoo 18 offers flexible conversion options to prevent duplicates and maintain data integrity.

Conversion Process:

1. Open the lead record
2. Click Convert to Opportunity button
3. Choose conversion method:
   • Create New Customer: Lead becomes new partner and opportunity
   • Link to Existing Customer: Attach lead to existing partner record
   • Merge with Existing Opportunity: Combine with existing opportunity to avoid duplicates
4. Assign salesperson and sales team
5. Set expected revenue and closing date
6. Confirm conversion

List View Features

List view provides comprehensive opportunity details in table format. Access via view selector in CRM pipeline.

Default List Columns:

• Opportunity Title
• Contact Name (clickable to send message)
• Email Address (with email action button)
• Phone Number (with SMS action button)
• Company
• Salesperson
• Next Activity
• Activity Deadline
• Expected Revenue
• Current Stage

Additional Available Columns:

Customize list view by adding columns for:

• Created On date
• Customer name
• City, State, Country
• Sales Team
• Priority level
• Assigned Partner
• Activity By (who created activity)
• Campaign source
• Medium (email, social, direct)
• Source channel
• Expected Closing date
• Win Probability percentage

Quick Actions from List View:

• Email: Click email icon to send message directly
• SMS: Click SMS icon to send text message
• Message Salesperson: Click salesperson name to open internal chat

Advanced Filtering and Searching

Odoo 18 provides powerful filtering options to quickly find specific leads or opportunities.

Built-in Filter Options:

• My Pipeline: Only opportunities assigned to you
• My Activities: Opportunities with your assigned activities
• Late Activities: Overdue tasks needing attention
• Won: Successfully closed deals
• Lost: Deals marked as lost

Group By Options:

• Salesperson
• Sales Team
• Stage
• Expected Closing Date
• Campaign
• Medium
• Source

Custom Filters:

Create complex filtering rules by clicking Add Custom Filter. Define conditions based on any field (revenue > $10,000, closing date within 30 days, specific sales team, etc.).

My Activities vs My Pipeline

Odoo 18 CRM offers two main views for personal opportunity management:

Best Practices: Leads vs Opportunities

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Configuration Settings

Customize CRM behavior via CRM → Configuration → Settings:

• Leads: Enable/disable lead management
• Lead Mining: Generate leads from LinkedIn/database
• Predictive Lead Scoring: AI-based lead qualification
• Recurring Revenues: Track subscription-based opportunities
• Visit Report: Log customer visits
• Activity Types: Customize available activity categories (call, meeting, email, etc.)

Reporting and Analytics

Access CRM reports via CRM → Reporting:

• Pipeline Analysis: Opportunities by stage, salesperson, team
• Win/Loss Analysis: Conversion rates and lost reasons
• Activity Report: Completed vs scheduled activities
• Lead Analysis: Lead sources, conversion rates, time-to-convert
• Revenue Forecasting: Expected revenue by period

Conclusion

Odoo 18 CRM distinguishes Leads (unqualified contacts) from Opportunities (qualified deals in active sales process) to optimize sales efficiency. Leads capture initial interest from multiple channels and get qualified through discovery. Qualified leads convert to opportunities tracked through pipeline stages with expected revenue, assigned salespeople, and closing forecasts. Use leads for high-volume inquiry management and qualification workflows. Skip directly to opportunities for simple sales processes with pre-qualified contacts. Proper categorization prevents wasted effort, increases conversion rates 3-5x, and provides accurate sales forecasting.