How to collaborate with your team on deals using Freckle shared workspaces

If you've ever tried to wrangle a deal with a team—keeping everyone in the loop, tracking changes, stopping things from slipping through the cracks—then you know how messy it can get. This guide is for people who want to use Freckle shared workspaces, not as some magical cure-all, but as a tool that actually helps you work together without piling on more chaos.

No fluff, no hype—just what works, what doesn't, and how to make Freckle ([freckle.html]) fit the way your team already works.

Why Shared Workspaces Matter (and What They’re Not)

Shared workspaces in Freckle are meant to be the “central table” where everyone sees the same deal info, leaves notes, and nudges things forward. In theory, it keeps your team out of endless email threads or lost Slack messages. In reality, shared workspaces are only as useful as the habits you build around them.

Don’t believe the marketing: a workspace won’t magically make your team collaborative. But if you set things up with some intention, it’ll save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Who gets the most out of this? - Sales teams juggling multiple deals at once - Account managers who need to loop in product or support - Anyone who’s tired of “where’s that doc?” and “who talked to them last?”

If your team is one person, or you’re dealing with a single simple deal, you probably don’t need all this. But for the rest of us, shared workspaces can be a lifesaver—with the right setup.

Step 1: Set Up Your First Shared Workspace

Before you invite everyone, get your own bearings. Here’s what to do:

Create a workspace for a specific deal or client.
Don't lump all your deals into one workspace. One deal = one workspace. This keeps things tidy and makes permissions way easier.
Name it clearly.
Ditch the clever names. Use something like Acme Inc - Q3 Renewal so people can find it fast.
Set permissions early.
Decide who needs editing access vs. who just needs to peek in. Be honest—too many cooks can slow things down, but gatekeeping kills momentum too.

What to skip:
Don’t spend an hour customizing every field or adding widgets just because you can. Start simple. You can always add complexity if you really need it.

Step 2: Add Your Team (But Don’t Over-invite)

Now, bring in the people who actually need to be in the room. Some honest rules of thumb:

Only invite people who will contribute or need to be kept in the loop.
Don’t add your whole department “just in case.” It slows things down and leads to more noise.
Assign clear roles.
Use Freckle’s member roles—Owner, Editor, Viewer—properly. If someone’s just watching progress, don’t make them an Editor.
Set expectations.
Let everyone know what you want them to do in the workspace: update stages, drop in notes, upload docs, whatever.

Pro tip:
If someone’s always lurking but never contributes, have a quick chat about whether they really need access. Less is more.

Step 3: Organize Deal Info for Real-World Use

A workspace can turn into a junk drawer fast if you aren’t careful. Here’s how to keep it useful:

Use sections for clarity.
Split the workspace into “Deal Overview,” “Next Steps,” “Key Docs,” and “Notes.” Don’t get fancy—just enough to find what you need.
Pin critical info.
Pin the current status, deal value, and decision-makers up top. Nobody wants to dig for this stuff every time.
Attach docs where they belong.
Upload contracts, slides, and emails directly to the workspace. Stop linking out to random GDrives.
Keep a running log.
Use the notes/comments area for updates. Date them and tag who did what. This is your source of truth when someone’s on vacation or leaves the company.

What to ignore:
Don’t bother filling in every possible field. Fill in what actually matters to close the deal. Empty fields just make things look neglected.

Step 4: Use Comments and Mentions—But Don’t Abuse Them

Freckle’s comment threads and @mentions help you get someone’s attention, but they’re not a replacement for talking things out when needed.

Comment for updates, not conversations.
Post updates, summarize meetings, or flag blockers. For back-and-forth debates, hop on a call or chat instead.
@Mention only when you need a response.
Don’t tag everyone on every update. If everything’s urgent, nothing is.
Resolve threads when done.
Mark questions as answered or tasks as complete. Keeps things clean and easy to scan.

What doesn’t work:
Don’t assume everyone reads every comment. If something’s truly urgent, follow up outside the workspace.

Step 5: Track Deal Progress Without Micro-managing

Freckle gives you status fields and checklists—use them, but don’t turn your workspace into a project management monster.

Update stages as you go.
Move the deal through stages (“Contacted,” “Negotiating,” “Contract Sent,” etc.) in real time. It’s not for show—people depend on this info.
Use checklists for key milestones.
List out “Send proposal,” “Schedule demo,” “Get sign-off.” Check them off so you don’t miss a step.
Review regularly, but keep it short.
A quick team sync—weekly or after any big change—is enough. Don’t let this turn into another pointless meeting.

Skip this:
Don’t duplicate tasks into other tools unless you absolutely have to. Double-entry is how things get lost.

Step 6: Handle Handoffs and Ownership Changes Smoothly

Deals rarely stay with one person from start to finish. When you hand things off:

Assign new owners formally in Freckle.
Change the workspace “Owner” so it’s clear who’s in charge now.
Tag the new lead in your final update.
Summarize where things stand, what’s next, and any lurking issues.
Archive or lock old workspaces when done.
Keeps your system tidy and prevents accidental work on dead deals.

What to ignore:
Don’t keep everyone on as Editors after a deal closes. It’s just a security risk and clutters up everyone’s dashboards.

Step 7: Set Boundaries for Notifications and Alerts

Freckle can ping you for everything, or nothing. Here’s how to stay sane:

Customize your notifications.
Get alerts for comments, mentions, or stage changes—whatever you actually care about. Turn off the rest.
Encourage your team to do the same.
No one needs a notification every time someone adds a comma.
Check in, don’t just wait for alerts.
Schedule time to review workspaces, especially if you’re the deal owner. Alerts are a backup, not your main workflow.

Step 8: Do a Quick Retrospective—Then Move On

After a deal wraps up (win or loss), spend five minutes as a team noting what worked and what was a pain.

What did you waste time on?
What saved the day?
Which workspace habits actually helped?

Jot this down in one workspace note, then use it to tweak how you set up your next deal. Don’t overthink it.

Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t, What to Skip

Works: - Keeping all deal info in one place, accessible to everyone who needs it. - Quick status updates and checklists that don’t require extra meetings. - Handoffs that don’t require a dozen emails.

Doesn’t work: - Over-complicating your workspace with custom fields you’ll never use. - Adding your whole team “just in case.” - Relying on comments instead of actual conversations for tough decisions.

Skip: - Trying to make shared workspaces your all-in-one solution for everything. Use email, calls, or chat when they’re faster. - Fancy automations unless you’ve already got the basics working.

Keep It Simple and Keep Tweaking

Shared workspaces in Freckle aren’t magic—they’re just a way to keep your team from tripping over each other. Start simple, avoid the temptation to overcomplicate, and adjust as you go. The real win is when your team spends less time managing the deal and more time actually closing it. Don’t wait for the “perfect” system—set it up, see what works, and fix what doesn’t. That’s how real teams get ahead.