Customer Opportunity Review · Source Module

Source Material · The Customer Story

Discovery & the Guest Sheet

Connect customer intel to CRM notes, follow-up quality, and manager coaching.

The guest sheet is where the customer story starts. It only works if the information becomes a CRM record that shows why the customer is shopping, what happened, what is missing, who owns the next action, and how the next contact should happen.

Step 1 · Watch

Start with the customer story

This clip explains why discovery and the guest sheet are not paperwork. They are the foundation for CRM notes, follow-up targets, and manager coaching.

★Big Idea

Why This Matters

The guest sheet begins the customer story

The manager cannot coach the next conversation if the team did not capture why the customer is shopping, what they are trying to solve, what they drove, what they liked, what stopped the deal, and what should happen next.

A completed guest sheet is not the finish line. It has to become a CRM note that another manager can open and understand. If the CRM only says “customer wants numbers” or “customer will think about it,” the manager is guessing. If the CRM explains the customer story, the manager can coach the next action.

Core operating point The guest sheet should become a CRM story strong enough for a manager to call the customer back and have a logical conversation.

Step 2 · Guest Sheet → CRM → Follow-Up Map

The operating chain

The guest sheet only creates value when it carries forward: capture the story, write it into the CRM, name what is missing, set the follow-up target, assign the owner and due time, then inspect.

1Guest Sheet

Capture the customer's reason, current vehicle, trade, must-have needs, shopping context, and desired outcome.

2CRM Note

Convert the guest sheet into a written story another manager can understand.

3Missing Information

Identify what is still unknown before the next customer contact.

4Follow-Up Target

Decide what the next contact must accomplish.

5Owner and Due Time

Assign who owns the next action and when it must happen.

6Manager Check

Inspect whether the action happened and whether the CRM was updated.

NOStory

Operating Truth

No CRM story, no manager coaching.

The guest sheet only creates value when it becomes a usable CRM record. If the manager cannot see why the customer came in, what happened, what is missing, and what should happen next, the next contact becomes guesswork.

Step 3 · Understand the Handoff

What each part means

Guest sheet is the start

The guest sheet captures the customer's reason and shopping context.

CRM is the memory

CRM keeps the story available after the customer leaves.

Missing info creates the target

The next action should be based on what is missing, not generic follow-up.

Follow-up must be specific

The customer should hear a message tied to their reason, vehicle, objection, or next decision point.

Manager owns inspection

The manager checks whether the story is clear and the next action is assigned.

Names stay active

Customers should not come off the follow-up list until communication happens and the CRM reflects the outcome.

Step 4 · Manager Inspection

Inspect the CRM story, not just the activity

A manager is not only checking whether notes were entered. The manager is inspecting whether the CRM explains the customer well enough to coach the next contact.

  • Why shopping — does the CRM show why the customer was shopping?
  • Desired outcome — does it show what they wanted to accomplish?
  • Vehicle fit — does it show the vehicle of interest and why it fit?
  • Current vehicle — does it show the trade, payment, fuel, maintenance, or reliability concern?
  • Test drive — does it show whether the customer test drove?
  • Response — does it show the immediate test-drive response?
  • Numbers — does it show whether numbers were presented?
  • Objection — does it show what concern stopped the deal?
  • Missing — does it show what information is missing?
  • Owner — does it show who owns the next contact?
  • Due time — does it show when the next contact is due?
  • Handoff — could another manager call and have a logical conversation?
Core coaching question Can another manager open this CRM record and know exactly what to say next?

Coaching Language

Manager Word Track

Practical language a manager can use when coaching the salesperson — short, direct, and operator-led.

“When I inspect this opportunity, I am not just looking for notes. I am looking for a customer story.

  • Why did they come in?
  • What were they trying to solve?
  • What vehicle did they consider and why?
  • What happened during the visit?
  • What stopped the deal?
  • What is missing?
  • Who owns the next action, and when is the next contact due?

If the CRM does not answer those questions, we do not have a follow-up plan yet. The coaching action is to go back, gather the missing information, update the CRM, and assign the next customer contact.”

What should trigger coaching

  • Guest sheet exists but the CRM note does not tell the story.
  • CRM says “customer wants numbers” with no why.
  • CRM says “think about it” but does not explain what they are thinking about.
  • Vehicle is listed but the reason it fit is missing.
  • Test drive happened but the response is missing.
  • Numbers were presented but the objection is not documented.
  • Follow-up task exists but has no specific message.
  • No owner or due time is assigned.
  • Customer was removed from the active list before communication happened.

Step 5 · Practice

Turn a guest sheet into a CRM follow-up plan

This is what a manager-ready record looks like — the guest sheet carried all the way through to an assigned next action.

Example Guest Sheet

A training example only — not a real CRM record. Nothing is loaded from or saved to any customer system.

Weak CRM note

Customer looked at Explorer. Wants numbers. Will think about it.

Teaching point

This records activity, but not the customer story. Load the example to see the manager-ready record that makes the next contact coachable.