Sales Opportunity
A sales opportunity is a qualified potential deal tracked in the CRM. It signals a real, active chance to win revenue from a specific account. Each one carries an estimated value, an expected close date, and a stage in the sales pipeline, and it is created once a lead is qualified enough that a rep is actively working toward a sale.
Opportunities move through pipeline stages (discovery, proposal, negotiation) until they are marked closed-won or closed-lost. Their combined value and probability feed forecasting, and metrics like win rate (opportunities won divided by opportunities closed) and average deal size are calculated from them.
A common pitfall is creating opportunities too early or letting stale ones linger, which inflates the pipeline and distorts forecasts. An opportunity is distinct from a lead, which is an earlier, unqualified contact. Related terms include pipeline and SQL.
Last updated: 14 June 2026