If you’re in sales and tired of wasting time scrolling through endless lists of leads, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a solo founder or part of a lean sales team, you need quick ways to find the right prospects and move fast. This guide is for people who use Close and want to make Smart Views work for them—no fluff, no buzzwords, just practical steps to get more out of your CRM.
Why Smart Views Matter (and What They Actually Do)
Most CRMs drown you in data. Smart Views cut through the mess. Think of them as saved searches or filters that show you exactly the leads you care about—no more, no less.
The idea is simple: set up a few Smart Views, and you can stop digging through your whole database every time you want to find, say, “all SaaS companies who opened my last email but I haven’t called yet.” The magic is in how you set them up and, more importantly, how you actually use them.
A quick reality check: Smart Views are powerful, but they’re only as good as your data. If your CRM is a dumpster fire of old info and half-filled fields, Smart Views won’t fix it. But if you’re willing to invest a bit of effort upfront, they’ll save you hours every week.
Step 1: Know What You’re Targeting
Before you dive into Close to build Smart Views, step back and get clear on what you actually want to see. Smart Views aren’t magic—they just show you what you ask for. So, who do you want to target?
Some real-world examples: - New inbound leads who haven’t been contacted yet. - Deals sitting in the pipeline with no activity in the last 14 days. - Prospects in a certain industry or region. - Lost deals that might be worth a re-engagement attempt.
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard. Start with 2-3 views you’ll actually use. You can always add more later.
Step 2: Clean Up Your Data (Seriously, Just Do It)
You can’t filter leads you haven’t tagged or categorized. Garbage in, garbage out. Spend an hour making sure your leads have: - Accurate statuses (e.g., “New,” “Contacted,” “Qualified”) - Useful custom fields filled in (like industry, company size, etc.) - Up-to-date contact info
Yes, it’s tedious. But you only have to do it once to get a huge payoff. If you skip this, your Smart Views will be half-baked at best.
Step 3: Build Your First Smart View in Close
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts:
- Go to the Leads Section: In Close, open the sidebar and click “Leads.”
- Hit the Filter Button: You’ll see a “Filter” option at the top. Click it.
- Set Your Criteria: This is where the magic happens. Stack up as many filters as you want—by status, by custom field, by activity, you name it.
- Example: Show me all leads with the status “New” AND the custom field “Industry” is “SaaS” AND there’s been no call in the last 7 days.
- Preview Your Results: Make sure the filtered list matches what you expect. If you’re seeing weird stuff, double-check your data and filters.
- Save as a Smart View: Once you’re happy, hit “Save as Smart View.” Give it a name that actually means something. (“Hot SaaS Leads - No Recent Call” is better than “View #7”)
- Pin to Sidebar (Optional): If you want this view front and center, pin it. That way you’re not hunting around for it every time.
Don’t make 20 Smart Views on day one. Pick your most important use case and get it working first.
Step 4: Use (and Refine) Your Smart Views for Targeted Prospecting
This is where most people drop the ball—they set up Smart Views and then forget about them. Actually using them is the point.
How to make Smart Views part of your daily routine: - Start your day here. Don’t just dive into your inbox or random leads. Open your Smart View and work straight from the list. - Work in batches. Call, email, or follow up directly from the filtered list. No more context switching. - Update as you go. Change statuses, add notes, or fill in missing fields right from within the Smart View. This keeps your data tight for next time.
Honest take: If you find yourself ignoring a Smart View, that’s a sign it’s not useful. Either fix the filters or delete it—don’t let clutter build up.
Step 5: Advanced Filtering—Going Beyond the Basics
Once you’re comfortable, you can get clever with filters. Here are some ideas that actually work:
- “No Recent Activity” Filter:
- Filter leads who haven’t been called or emailed in X days. Great for making sure nothing slips through the cracks.
- “Multi-Touch Prospects” View:
- Leads who have opened your emails but haven’t replied. Focus your follow-up here.
- “High-Value Industry” View:
- Filter by custom fields like company size, revenue, or industry. Spend your time where it matters.
- “Lost but Worth Another Shot” View:
- Filter leads who were marked as “Lost” more than 90 days ago, with a certain deal size. Sometimes timing is everything.
Don’t bother: Filtering by vanity metrics like number of emails sent rarely helps. Focus on engagement and real signals—opens, replies, calls, and deal size.
Step 6: Share and Collaborate (If You’re on a Team)
Smart Views aren’t just for you. In Close, you can share Smart Views with your team. This is actually useful if: - You want everyone to work the same pipeline. - You want to hand off a specific group of leads to another rep. - You want your manager to see what you’re prioritizing.
Reality check: Shared Smart Views only work if everyone agrees on what the fields and statuses mean. If your team’s data habits are sloppy, you’ll just be sharing confusion.
Step 7: Review and Iterate (Don’t Set and Forget)
Your sales strategy changes; your Smart Views should too. Every couple of weeks, check if your views are still useful: - Are you actually working from them? - Are they surfacing the right leads? - Are you ignoring them? Why?
Don’t be precious: delete what you don’t use, tweak what you do, and keep things lean.
Pro Tips and Honest Advice
- Name your Smart Views clearly. “SaaS - No Calls Last 7 Days” beats “Lead List 2.”
- Pin your top 2-3 views. That’s where the real time savings happen.
- Ignore the urge to overcomplicate. Fancy, multi-layered filters sound cool but get old fast. Simple views get used.
- Don’t treat Smart Views as reports. They’re for action, not for end-of-month bragging rights.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Smart Views in Close aren’t a silver bullet, but they can actually make prospecting faster and less miserable—if you keep them simple and relevant. Start with just a couple, get your data in shape, and build from there. Don’t worry about perfection; just make sure your Smart Views help you take action. Keep tweaking, delete what doesn’t work, and you’ll get more done with less hassle.