Editing Deal as Won or Lost (section)

== How to Mark a Deal as Won or Lost ==

Marking a deal as '''Won''' or '''Lost''' is a crucial process in managing your sales within ActiveCampaign. This feature not only helps you keep track of the deals in your sales pipeline but also plays a significant role in the overall effectiveness of your reporting and data analysis. By ensuring that deals are accurately marked, you can enhance the integrity of your data in the segment builder and Deals reports, which rely on the correct statuses to provide valuable insights.

Correctly updating the status of closed deals is considered a best practice because it allows ActiveCampaign to recognize when a deal is finalized, enhancing your workflow efficiency and accuracy in forecasting. Understanding the difference between updating a deal's status and changing its stage in the sales process is essential. While adjusting a deal's stage moves it through your pipeline, only marking it as Won or Lost signifies that it is closed.

=== How to Access this Feature ===
You can access the feature to mark a deal as Won or Lost from multiple locations within the ActiveCampaign interface, including from a contact record, a pipeline, automations, and even using API calls. Below are the methods to access and utilize this feature.

=== Step-by-Step Instructions ===

==== How to Mark a Deal as Won or Lost from a Contact Record ====
1. Click **Contacts** on the left menu.
2. Open the contact record that contains the deal you wish to update.
3. Click the **Deals** tab to view the associated deals.
4. Select the '''Deal Name''' you wish to mark as Won or Lost, which opens the Deal Record.
5. From the Deal Record, click the **Status** dropdown and select either '''Won''' or '''Lost.'''
6. Click **Save Changes** to confirm your selection.

==== How to Mark a Deal as Won or Lost from a Pipeline ====
To mark a deal as Won or Lost from a pipeline:
1. Click **Deals** on the left menu.
2. Select the appropriate pipeline containing the deal you wish to update and locate the deal.
3. To mark the deal as Won, click the deal and drag it to the top left corner of the pipeline page.
4. To mark the deal as Lost, click the deal and drag it to the top right of the pipeline page.

Alternatively:
1. Click the deal you wish to close.
2. Within the Deal Record, click the **Status** dropdown and select either '''Won''' or '''Lost.'''
3. Click **Save Changes** to apply your new status.

==== How to Mark a Deal as Won or Lost Using an Automation Action ====
You can also update the status of a deal using an automation:
1. Click **Automations** on the left menu.
2. Locate the automation you want to modify and click **Edit.**
3. Click the **CRM** option on the right and drag the **Update a status** action into your automation flow.
4. A modal will appear; click the first dropdown and select either '''Won''' to mark all deals as Won or '''Lost''' to mark them as Lost.
5. Use the **Affects** dropdown to choose which deals should be updated when contacts go through this action in your automation.
6. Select the relevant pipeline using the **Pipeline** dropdown.
7. Click **Save** to finalize your changes.

==== Using Third-Party Integrations to Mark a Deal as Won or Lost ====
Some third-party integrations, such as Zapier, facilitate the update of a deal’s status. To use Zapier:
1. Choose the **Update Deal** option for the ActiveCampaign action within Zapier.
2. In the "Edit Template" page, select the **Status** option to mark deals as either Won or Lost.

==== Marking a Deal as Won or Lost with the API ====
You can also use the ActiveCampaign API to programmatically mark a deal as Won or Lost. The following API calls are applicable:
- Use the [[https://www.activecampaign.com/api/example.php?call=deal_edit|deal_edit API call]] from v1 to update a deal’s status (1 for Won, 2 for Lost).
- Use the [[https://developers.activecampaign.com/reference#update-a-deal|Update a deal API]] in v3 to achieve the same functionality.

=== Configuration Options and Settings ===
Within this feature, the primary configurations involve:
- The **Status** dropdown choices of '''Won''' and '''Lost'''
- The ability to select the specific pipeline associated with a deal during an automation.

These options are critical for ensuring the correct management of your deals as you utilize the system.

=== Best Practices and Tips ===
- Always update the status of a deal to ensure your reporting features function accurately.
- Distinguish clearly between '''status''' (Won/Lost) and '''stage''' within your pipeline—one indicates completion, while the other indicates progress.
- Regularly review your pipeline to manage deals efficiently, facilitating faster updates when deals are closed.

=== Common Use Cases with Examples ===
- A salesperson finalizes a deal with a client after negotiations; they will mark the deal as '''Won''' to reflect this.
- Following unsuccessful negotiations or a change in client interest, a salesperson will mark the deal as '''Lost.'''
- Automating the marking process through Zapier can significantly reduce manual work, ensuring statuses update consistently as actions are triggered.

=== Troubleshooting Section ===
If you experience issues while marking deals as Won or Lost, consider the following:
- Ensure you have the necessary permissions to edit the deal’s status.
- Verify that the deal exists in the selected pipeline.
- Look for any integration issues if using third-party services like Zapier.

=== Related Features ===
For further enhancement of your pipeline management, consider exploring:
- [[Pipelines]]
- [[Automation]]
- [[Reporting]] in ActiveCampaign for better analysis of closed deals.

=== FAQ ===
1. **What happens when I mark a deal as Lost?**
   Marking a deal as Lost indicates that the sales process has ended unsuccessfully. This helps maintain accurate records in your reports.

2. **Can I change a deal's status back after marking it as Lost?**
   Yes, you can change the status of a deal back to Open or adjust it further if necessary.

3. **Is it mandatory to mark deals as Won or Lost?**
   While it is not mandatory, doing so helps maintain data integrity in your segment builder and reports.

4. **Can automations automatically mark deals as Won or Lost?**
   Yes, by using the appropriate actions in your automation setup, you can automate this process.

5. **What should I do if I cannot see the option to mark a deal?**
   Ensure you have the right permissions and that the deal is part of the active pipeline.

6. **Are there any impacts on reporting when deals are not marked as Won or Lost?**
   Yes, not marking deals correctly can lead to incomplete data, affecting insights and decision-making.

By following these guidelines and utilizing the markup processes, you can ensure your deal tracking is efficient and effective in ActiveCampaign.
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