If you work in sales or revenue operations, you know there are only two kinds of deal updates: the ones you catch in time, and the ones that burn you because you didn’t. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of finding out about critical changes in their pipeline after it’s too late. We’ll walk through setting up custom alerts in Boostup—step by step—so you actually get the updates you care about, and none of the noise you don’t.
Let’s cut through the hype and focus on what actually works.
Why Custom Alerts Matter (and Where Most Go Wrong)
Most CRMs and forecasting tools let you set up alerts, but half the time they’re either too noisy or too vague to be useful. You end up ignoring everything—or, worse, missing the one update that actually matters.
Custom alerts in Boostup let you define exactly what a “critical” update means for your team, your process, and your deals. But don’t just turn on every alert you see. Pick your battles.
What works: - Alerts tied to concrete deal risks (e.g., close date pushed, deal size cut, key contact goes silent) - Updates that need action (not just “FYI” noise) - Custom triggers based on your sales process, not just generic CRM changes
What to skip: - Alerts for every minor field update (nobody cares if the lead’s favorite color changed) - “Catch-all” alerts that just overwhelm your inbox
Step 1: Define What’s Actually ‘Critical’ for Your Team
Before you even open Boostup, get clear on what you really need to know about. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
Questions to ask: - What last-minute surprises have blindsided us in the past? - Are there patterns in deals that slip or go dark? - Who needs to know about which updates (managers vs. reps vs. execs)?
Common critical triggers: - Close date slips outside the quarter - Deal value drops by more than 20% - Stage regresses (e.g., from “Commit” back to “Pipeline”) - No contact from buyer in X days - Deal flagged as “At Risk” by AI
Pro tip: Start with 2-3 real triggers. You can always add more later. If everything is an emergency, nothing is.
Step 2: Get to Know Boostup’s Alert Options
Boostup offers several types of alerts, but not all are created equal. Here’s what you’ll typically find:
Types of Alerts
- Deal Change Alerts: Triggered by updates to specific deal fields (amount, stage, close date, etc.)
- Activity Alerts: Based on sales activity (or lack thereof)—like email silence, meeting cancellations, etc.
- Risk & AI Alerts: Boostup’s AI flags deals as “At Risk” or “Trending Down”—handy, but don’t treat them as gospel.
- Custom Filters: Build your own triggers using combinations of fields, activities, and team roles.
Delivery Channels
- In-app notifications: Good for daily check-ins, but easy to ignore if you’re not always in Boostup.
- Email alerts: Useful for high-priority triggers, but can get lost in the inbox.
- Slack/Teams integration: Best for time-sensitive stuff, but only if your team lives in chat.
Honest take: Slack/Teams alerts work if your team actually reads them. Otherwise, stick to email for critical updates and in-app for everything else.
Step 3: Build Your First Custom Alert
Here’s where you actually set up your alert. The Boostup UI changes from time to time, but the basic steps are:
1. Go to the Alerts Section
- Open Boostup and log in.
- Navigate to the “Alerts” or “Notifications” section (usually in the main menu or user settings).
2. Click “Create New Alert” (or similar)
- You’ll see options for “Deal Change Alert,” “Activity Alert,” etc.
- Pick the alert type that matches what you want to track.
3. Set Your Trigger Criteria
- Choose which field(s) to monitor—like “Close Date,” “Deal Amount,” or “Deal Stage.”
- Define the trigger logic:
- “If Close Date is pushed back more than 7 days…”
- “If Deal Amount decreases by over $10,000…”
- “If Stage moves from ‘Commit’ to ‘Pipeline’...”
- Combine multiple criteria if needed (e.g., “Deal over $50,000 AND Stage = Commit AND Close Date within 30 days”).
4. Choose Who Gets the Alert
- Assign to yourself, your manager, or a specific team.
- Some alerts can be sent only to deal owners—others can be broadcast to a team or execs.
5. Pick Your Delivery Channel
- Decide if this should be in-app, email, Slack/Teams, or all of the above.
- For real emergencies, pick multiple channels.
6. Add Any Extra Details
- Most alerts let you customize the message or add context.
- Keep it short, but make sure it’s clear why the alert fired.
7. Save and Test
- Save the alert.
- Trigger a test if Boostup allows it (or make a dummy change to see if it works).
Step 4: Avoid Alert Fatigue—Tune and Tweak
The fastest way to make people ignore alerts is to send too many, too often. Start simple, then adjust.
Tips to stay sane: - Review alert performance after a week. Are people acting on them, or just deleting? - If people complain, listen. One or two high-value alerts > ten ignored ones. - Use Boostup’s analytics to see which alerts get opened, snoozed, or skipped.
What to ignore: - “Set and forget” alert setups. Your sales process will change—so should your alerts. - Any alert nobody can actually act on. If it’s just “FYI,” dump it or send it as a digest.
Step 5: Use Advanced Features—But Only If They Help
Boostup comes with bells and whistles like AI-driven risk scores, trend detection, and “early warning” alerts. These can be helpful, but don’t confuse AI with magic.
AI flags are… - Good for a second opinion—not a substitute for knowing your deals. - Prone to false positives, especially if your data’s messy. - Best used as “smoke alarms,” not “fire alarms.”
Custom filters: - Combine multiple triggers (e.g., “Deal is at risk AND no contact in 14 days”). - Great for managers tracking multiple reps or segments.
If it feels like overkill, it probably is. Stick to what’s actionable for your team and revisit the fancy stuff later.
Step 6: Review and Iterate—Don’t Settle for ‘Good Enough’
Your business, pipeline, and team will keep changing. So should your alerts.
Monthly checklist: - Are you getting too many alerts? Trim the fat. - Missing key updates? Tighten your criteria. - Team ignoring stuff? Ask why and adjust. - New process or stage? Update triggers.
Pro tip: Make alert review part of your regular team meeting. It’s five minutes well spent.
A Few Real-World Examples
Still not sure what to set up? Here are some “no-BS” alert setups that actually work for most teams:
- Deal Slipping Alert: “Notify me if any deal over $25k with a close date this quarter gets pushed to next quarter.”
- Ghosted Alert: “Alert manager if no email or meeting with the buyer in 10 business days for deals in ‘Commit’.”
- Deal Shrink Alert: “Alert rep and manager if deal amount decreases by 15% or more after reaching ‘Best Case’ stage.”
- Risk Stack Alert: “Notify sales ops if AI flags a deal as ‘At Risk’ AND there’s been no contact in 7 days.”
Don’t get fancy unless you need to. The best alerts are the ones people use.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Stay Flexible
Custom alerts in Boostup can save your bacon—but only if you set them up with intention and keep them lean. Start with what you actually care about. Tune out the noise. Tweak your alerts as your team and process evolve. If you’re not sure where to start, pick one critical update and build from there.
The goal isn’t to catch every minor change. It’s to never miss the ones that matter.
Now go set up your first alert. And when in doubt, less is more.