CRM Spreadsheet Template (With Upgrade Triggers)
Start simple. Stay organised. Know exactly when it's time to upgrade.
- •Contacts + deals + follow-ups
- •Built-in dedupe checks
- •Graduation triggers and export-ready columns
Who this CRM spreadsheet is for
- •Solo founders
- •2–3 person teams
- •Low volume leads
- •Teams that want structure without setup time
What a spreadsheet won't fix
- •Shared visibility into email threads
- •Permissions and access control
- •Reliable follow-up automation
- •Clean activity history
How to use the template
- 1.Add every deal to Leads & Deals
- 2.Always set Next Follow-up Date and Next Step
- 3.Log key activities
- 4.Check Dashboard twice a week
- 5.Review Graduation Triggers weekly
How to know when you've outgrown a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is fine until it isn't. Check these triggers weekly. When you hit 3 or more, it's time to upgrade to a real CRM that saves you time instead of wasting it.
Overdue follow-ups exceed 10 per week
How to measure: Count deals where 'Overdue Follow-up?' = TRUE
Why it matters: You're losing deals because manual tracking can't keep up
More than 2 owners are updating the sheet
How to measure: Count unique values in 'Owner' column
Why it matters: Multiple people = version conflicts and lost updates
You have > 200 active contacts
How to measure: Count rows in Contacts tab
Why it matters: Spreadsheets get slow and hard to search at scale
You need permissions (not everyone should see everything)
How to measure: Self-assessment: Do different people need different access?
Why it matters: Spreadsheets can't restrict row-level or column-level access
You keep losing notes in email threads
How to measure: Self-assessment: Are you switching between email and sheet?
Why it matters: Context switching wastes time and important details get lost
Duplicate contacts keep appearing
How to measure: Count TRUE values in 'Duplicate Email?' column
Why it matters: Manual deduplication is time-consuming and error-prone
You need reporting beyond 'counts'
How to measure: Self-assessment: Do you need trends, forecasts, or dashboards?
Why it matters: Spreadsheets require manual chart updates and can't auto-refresh
You need a shared view of conversations
How to measure: Self-assessment: Do multiple people need to see email history?
Why it matters: Shared inbox context requires email integration, not manual logging
Upgrade checklist (when you're ready)
When you decide to move to a CRM, follow this checklist for a clean handover:
Ready to upgrade? See how Ralivi CRM can help you move beyond spreadsheets with automated follow-ups, email integration, and smart contact management.
Template Previews
Here's what you'll get in the template. Each tab includes sample data and formulas.
| Deal ID | Company | Contact | Stage | Value | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEAL-001 | Acme Corp | John Smith | Contacted | $25,000 | Send proposal draft |
| DEAL-002 | Tech Solutions | Jane Doe | Qualified | $15,000 | Schedule demo call |
| DEAL-003 | StartupXYZ | Bob Wilson | New | $5,000 | First outreach |
Note: The Dashboard and Graduation Triggers tabs are included in the README with setup instructions.