If you’re new to Zoho CRM and wondering what exactly you’re supposed to do all day, this Zoho CRM beginner tutorial walks you through the actual day-to-day use of the platform.
Unlike setup-focused videos, this guide zeroes in on what daily users need: managing leads, following up on tasks, sending emails, and moving deals forward efficiently.
Start Your Day in Zoho CRM: The Homepage
Your homepage is your control center.
You’ll find:
- Dashboards showing your sales pipeline and recent activity.
- Priority lead lists curated by your team.
- Open tasks that drive your day.
What to do now: Review your open tasks and flagged leads. This helps prioritize your outreach and follow-up efforts.
Watch this video to learn more:
Core Modules: Know Your Workspace
Every activity in Zoho CRM happens in a module. Here’s what you’ll use most:
? Leads
Unqualified prospects—people you might do business with. Think of them like digital business cards.
How to use:
- Qualify them via calls, emails, or meetings.
- Add key info (industry, needs, pain points).
- Log every touchpoint: tasks, notes, emails.
?? Contacts & Accounts
Once a lead is qualified, they become a contact (the person) and an account (the company).
Quick tip: Each account can have multiple contacts, and each contact links back to just one account.
? Deals
This is where real sales work happens. A deal tracks every opportunity from proposal to closed sale.
- Progress through deal stages (e.g., Demo Scheduled → Proposal Sent).
- Track revenue potential with amount and expected close date.
- Use quotes to send structured pricing.
Tasks: Your Daily Game Plan
Tasks keep everything on track.
Here’s why they matter:
- They’re visible in one place, across leads, contacts, and deals.
- Managers can see your outreach.
- You don’t drop balls.
Pro Tip: Log every call, meeting, or follow-up as a task. It keeps your CRM (and your headspace) organized.
Email Like a Pro, Without Leaving the CRM
You can:
- Send emails directly from any record.
- Use email templates with merge fields (e.g., first name, company).
- Track opens, clicks, and bounces.
Advanced tip: If someone replies via Gmail or Outlook, Zoho CRM can still pull that message in—as long as IMAP integration is enabled.
Custom Views & Filters: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Skip endless scrolling. Instead, create custom views like:
- “Uncontacted Leads (7+ Days Old)”
- “Deals Closing This Month”
- “High-Score Leads”
Quick filters let you slice and dice records based on status, source, or last activity.
What Happens When a Lead Is Ready?
You click Convert—and Zoho handles the rest:
- The lead becomes a contact.
- Their company becomes an account.
- A new deal is created and linked to both.
This flow keeps data tidy and connected.
Reports & Dashboards: See the Bigger Picture
Reports
Think rows and columns—great for status checks and filtering.
Analytics
Think graphs and charts—great for trends and forecasts.
- Use dashboards like “Deals by Stage” or “Lead Source Performance.”
- Dashboards can be embedded into your homepage for quick access.
Watch this video for an even more in-depth breakdown:
Bonus Tools & Integrations
- Quick Add Button: Add new leads, tasks, or deals on the fly.
- Email Integration: Set it up under Settings > Email Configuration.
- Calendar Sync: Sync from Google/Outlook → Zoho CRM to auto-log meetings.
Wrap-Up: A CRM Workflow That Works
Here’s your daily CRM flow:
- Check your homepage for tasks and urgent leads.
- Work through your lead or deal views, using filters and tasks.
- Use templates to send emails and log interactions.
- Convert leads as they become qualified.
- Track deals through stages and update expected close dates.
- Review dashboards weekly to keep your pipeline healthy.
When you commit to using tasks, deals, and templates, Zoho CRM becomes more than a database — it becomes your virtual sales assistant. For additional resources on Zoho CRM, CLICK HERE.
How To Breakdown
Getting Started with Zoho CRM as a Daily User
- Log In and Check Your Homepage
Navigate to your CRM dashboard.
Review open tasks, lead lists, and pipeline snapshots. - Prioritize Your Leads
Use custom views like “Uncontacted Leads.”
Apply filters for status and last activity. - Follow Up Using Tasks
Create tasks for calls, follow-ups, and meetings.
Set due dates and reminders. - Send Emails with Templates
Open a lead or deal.
Click the “Email” tab and use a template.
Track open rates and replies. - Convert Qualified Leads
Click “Convert” to create a contact, account, and deal.
Update deal stages and expected close date. - Track Progress via Reports & Dashboards
Use default reports or customized dashboards.
Filter by date, owner, or stage for insights.
FAQ
A lead is an unqualified prospect. Once qualified, they become a contact (person) linked to an account (company).
Yes, if you enable IMAP integration, Zoho CRM will sync emails from Gmail, Outlook, and other services—even those sent outside the CRM.
Start on your homepage. Check open tasks and review your prioritized lead views to plan your outreach.
Open the deal record and click on the pipeline bar or closing date field. These updates help with forecasting accuracy.
Ideally, yes. Tasks help you track follow-ups, ensure nothing slips, and show activity history for managers or teammates.
