If you’re juggling sales deals with a team, you know the drill: scattered notes, endless Slack pings, and “Where’s the latest update?” emails. It’s messy, stuff gets lost, and nobody has time for detective work. If your company uses Clari and you’re curious whether shared notes might actually help, this guide’s for you. We’ll get straight into how to make shared notes work for your team—without overcomplicating things or pretending every feature is life-changing.
Why Bother With Shared Notes in Clari?
Let’s be honest: most sales tools promise “collaboration,” but half the time, they just add noise. Clari shared notes are different, but only if you use them right. Here’s what they’re actually good for:
- Centralizing deal updates — One place for everyone to see the latest, not scattered across email and chat.
- Keeping context — See past conversations, updates, and hurdles right alongside the deal.
- Speeding up handoffs — When someone goes on PTO or a manager jumps in, the ramp-up is faster.
But don’t expect shared notes to magically fix communication problems. If your team doesn’t write things down or reads only the headlines, no tool can save you. The trick is to set up simple habits that stick.
1. Set Up Your Shared Notes for Real-World Use
Shared notes are only as useful as what you put in them. Before you start, get your team on the same page about what goes in (and what doesn’t).
Agree on What Belongs in Shared Notes
Don’t let your shared notes become a dumping ground. Decide as a team:
- What’s in: Key meeting takeaways, next steps, blockers, deal risks, and must-know updates.
- What’s out: Personal reminders, random thoughts, or anything not relevant to moving the deal forward.
Pro tip: If it’s something you’d want your manager or a teammate to see before a call, put it in. If it’s “don’t forget to order lunch,” keep it elsewhere.
Create a Simple Note Template
It doesn’t have to be fancy. Most teams work fine with something like:
- Last meeting summary
- Action items / Next steps
- Risks or blockers
- Key contacts and stakeholders
Copy-paste this as the first entry on every deal note. It helps avoid those “where do I even start?” moments.
2. Actually Use Shared Notes—Here’s How
Now for the nuts and bolts. Here’s a step-by-step on using shared notes in Clari without wasting time:
Step 1: Find the Deal and Open Shared Notes
- Go to your pipeline or open the specific opportunity.
- Look for the “Notes” or “Shared Notes” section—depends on your Clari setup.
- Open it up. You should see past entries (if any).
Step 2: Add Useful, Short Updates
- Stick to bullet points or short paragraphs.
- Avoid writing novels—no one’s reading a wall of text.
- Tag teammates if you want their attention (but don’t overdo it).
Example update:
- Met with IT lead. Needs security review by 5/18.
- Finance wants revised pricing—sent 5/12.
- Blocker: Waiting on legal from their side.
Step 3: Use Comments for Quick Back-and-Forth
- If you need to clarify or ask a question, use the comment feature—not a new note.
- This keeps the main timeline clean and keeps side convos easy to follow.
Step 4: Check Notes Before Calls or Updates
- Before customer calls or pipeline reviews, glance at the shared notes.
- Saves you from asking, “Wait, what happened last time?” and looking unprepared.
Pro tip: If you’re stepping in for someone, read the last few updates. It’s the fastest way to get the gist without backreading emails.
3. Get Your Team to Actually Use It (Without Nagging)
The biggest challenge isn’t the tool—it’s getting people to use it. Here’s what works (and what doesn’t):
What Works
- Lead by example: Add updates yourself, even if you’re the manager.
- Keep it short: Long entries scare people off. The shorter, the better.
- Make it habit: Update after every significant call or change. Don’t save it all for Friday.
What Doesn’t
- Mandating “perfect” notes: If you make people write essays, they’ll avoid it.
- Shaming non-users: Gentle reminders work better than public call-outs.
- Relying on notifications: Most folks ignore them. Mention in team meetings: “Hey, check shared notes before your updates.”
Optional: Light Team Norms
You can agree as a team:
- Always update notes within 24 hours of a key call
- Use the same simple template every time
- Tag the next person who needs to act
That’s it. Don’t over-engineer it.
4. Use Shared Notes for Better Pipeline Reviews
Shared notes aren’t just for the account owner—they’re a goldmine for managers and anyone supporting the deal. Here’s how to use them in pipeline meetings:
- Ask questions based on notes, not memory. (“I see legal’s a blocker—any update?”)
- Spot trends across deals. If every deal’s stuck on pricing, that’s a clue.
- Prep faster. No more scrambling through old emails before the pipeline call.
What doesn’t work: Using shared notes as a substitute for talking. If it’s sensitive or nuanced, pick up the phone or jump on a call.
5. Know the Limits and Workarounds
Clari shared notes are handy, but they’re not magic. Here’s what to watch out for—and what to skip:
What Works Well
- Quick updates that keep everyone aligned
- Hand-offs between reps or managers
- Building a deal “memory” you can refer back to
What Doesn’t
- Long-term documentation: Notes can get buried. For formal docs or post-mortems, use something else (Google Docs, Confluence, whatever your team likes).
- Sensitive info: Don’t put anything in shared notes you wouldn’t want widely visible. Assume everyone with deal access can read it.
- Replacing real conversations: Shared notes are for facts and key updates, not nuanced strategy debates.
Workarounds
- If you need to highlight something urgent, combine a note with a quick Slack or email (“Added a blocker in Clari notes—check it out.”)
- For follow-ups, use tags or comments—don’t rely on folks checking Clari daily.
6. Keep It Simple and Iterate
The best collaboration habits are the ones you’ll actually stick with. Don’t wait for the “perfect” process. Start by using shared notes for just one or two things—like meeting updates and blockers. As your team gets used to it, tweak as needed.
Remember, the goal isn’t to use every feature—it’s to make your life easier and your team less confused. If shared notes help, great. If not, adjust or drop what isn’t working. Keep it simple, get better as you go, and don’t let the tool become the work.