Outreach Records: What to Track
The right record structure makes the difference between useful data and a cluttered mess. This guide covers required fields, optional fields, and real examples for platform bids and email outreach.
Minimum Viable Record (Solo)
If you're working alone and just need to keep track of opportunities, start with these essential fields:
Required Fields
Source/Platform
Where did this opportunity come from? Upwork, LinkedIn, cold email, referral, etc.
Link/URL
Direct link to the job posting, profile, or conversation thread. Critical for context later.
Contact/Company
Who are you reaching out to? Name, company, or both.
Value Estimate
Rough deal size if you win. Helps prioritize and calculate ROI.
Stage
Current pipeline stage: New, Contacted, In Discussion, Won, Lost.
Next Follow-Up Date
When should you check in next? Every active opportunity needs this.
Team-Ready Record
When multiple people work on outreach, you need additional fields for coordination and accountability:
Additional Fields for Teams
Owner/Assigned To
Who is responsible for this opportunity?
Created Date
When was this opportunity first logged?
Last Activity Date
When was the last touchpoint? Helps identify stale leads.
Tags/Labels
Categorize by industry, service type, priority, etc.
Risk Flags
Red flags: low budget, scope creep risk, difficult client signals.
Proposal Version
Which version of your proposal did you send? Useful for A/B testing.
Example: Platform Bid Record
Here's what a complete record looks like for a typical Upwork or Freelancer.com bid:
| Source | Upwork - Search |
| Link | https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01abc123... |
| Contact/Company | TechStartup Inc. (John D.) |
| Value Estimate | $3,000 - $5,000 |
| Stage | Contacted |
| Next Follow-Up | Feb 3, 2026 |
| Owner | Sarah |
| Tags | Web DevReact |
| Notes | Looking for React developer for dashboard rebuild. 6-week timeline. Budget seems firm. |
Example: Email Outreach Record
Cold email outreach has different context needs:
| Source | Cold Email - Q1 Campaign |
| Link | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-smith... |
| Contact/Company | Jane Smith, VP Marketing @ GrowthCo |
| Value Estimate | $10,000/month retainer |
| Stage | In Discussion |
| Next Follow-Up | Feb 5, 2026 (after call) |
| Owner | Mike |
| Tags | SaaSHigh Priority |
| Notes | Replied to 2nd email. Interested in content marketing. Discovery call scheduled Feb 4 @ 2pm EST. |
Fields to Avoid
Some fields seem useful but create more problems than they solve:
Too many custom statuses
Don't create a status for every micro-step. "Sent First Email" and "Sent Second Email" should just be activities, not stages.
Probability percentages
Unless you have enough data to calibrate, probability % is guesswork. Use simple priority instead.
Duplicate contact fields
Don't store email, phone, and LinkedIn separately on the outreach record. Link to a contact record instead.
Related Guides
10-Minute Quickstart
Set up your first record and pipeline in 10 minutes
Statuses & Outcomes
Define stages and outcomes that enable accurate reporting
Start Tracking Your Outreach
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