Outreach Tracking Quickstart: 10-Minute Setup
Get from zero to a working outreach pipeline in under 10 minutes. This guide walks you through creating your first lead, setting up pipeline stages, configuring follow-up rules, and recording your first outcome.
What You'll Have After This Guide
- A working outreach pipeline with clear stages
- Your first lead/opportunity logged
- Follow-up rules configured
- An owner assigned for accountability
- Your first outcome recorded
Step 1: Create Your First Outreach Record
Start by logging one real opportunity you're currently working on. Don't overthink it—pick something active.
Minimum Fields to Fill
- Source/Platform: Where did this lead come from? (e.g., Upwork, LinkedIn, cold email)
- Link: URL to the job posting, profile, or conversation
- Company/Contact: Who are you reaching out to?
- Value Estimate: Rough deal size if you win
- Stage: Where is this opportunity right now?
Don't worry about getting every field perfect. You can always edit later. The goal is to have something real in the system.
Step 2: Choose Your Pipeline Stages
Keep it simple. You can always add stages later, but removing them creates data cleanup work.
Recommended Starter Stages
This covers 90% of use cases. Add stages like "Interview Scheduled" or "Proposal Sent" only if you need to track those transitions specifically.
Step 3: Set Your First Follow-Up
Every active opportunity needs a next action date. If you don't know when to follow up, the lead will slip away.
Follow-Up Rule of Thumb
- Just submitted: Follow up in 3-5 days
- Got a response: Follow up in 1-2 days
- Interview scheduled: Follow up same day or next day
- Waiting on decision: Follow up in 5-7 days
Set the follow-up date on your first record now. Make it specific—"next week" isn't good enough.
Step 4: Assign an Owner
If you're solo, you're the owner. If you're on a team, every opportunity needs exactly one person responsible for moving it forward.
Why Ownership Matters
- No confusion about who should follow up
- Clear accountability for outcomes
- Prevents duplicate outreach (two people contacting the same lead)
- Enables accurate rep performance reporting
Step 5: Record Your First Outcome
Pick any closed opportunity from your recent history and record the outcome. This completes the loop and shows you how the full workflow feels.
Outcome Options
Won
They said yes, deal closed
Lost
They said no (add reason)
No Response
Never heard back after X follow-ups
Not a Fit
You decided to pass
Common Setup Mistakes to Avoid
Too many stages
Start with 5 stages max. You can always add more, but removing stages is painful.
No follow-up dates
Every active opportunity needs a next action date. No exceptions.
Missing the link/URL
Always save the link to the job posting or conversation. You'll need it later.
Vague outcome reasons
"Lost" isn't enough. Was it price? Timing? Competition? Specific reasons enable improvement.
Your 10-Minute Checklist
What's Next
Now that you have the basics in place, dive deeper into specific areas:
What to Track
Full guide to record structure with required and optional fields
Statuses & Outcomes
Define stages and outcomes that keep data clean
Follow-Up Queue
Build a system to never miss a follow-up
Platform Bidding
Complete workflow for Upwork and similar platforms
Start Tracking Your Outreach
Set up your pipeline and never lose a lead again
No credit card required