Opportunity Types, States, and State Reasons

Daylite provides three classification systems for Opportunities — Types, States, and State Reasons — that help you segment, track, and analyze your sales pipeline. Types describe what kind of Opportunity it is, States track where it stands, and State Reasons record why it reached its final outcome.

Key facts:

• Opportunity Types describe what an Opportunity is (for example, New Business or Repeat Business). Types are distinct from Categories, which describe the topic of the Opportunity.
• A State tracks the Opportunity's current status: Open, Won, Lost, Abandoned, or Suspended.
• State Reasons capture why an Opportunity reached a particular State — you are prompted to select a reason when changing an Opportunity's State on the Opportunities Board.
• Only Opportunities with a State of Open appear on the Opportunities Board.
• Opportunity Types are managed in Settings > Opportunities > Opportunity Types.

What Are Opportunity Types in Daylite?

An Opportunity Type is a classification field that describes what kind of business the Opportunity represents. This is different from a Category, which describes the subject or topic of the Opportunity.

Daylite includes two default Opportunity Types: New Business and Repeat Business. You can create additional Types to match your business needs.

To manage Opportunity Types:

1. Navigate to Settings > Opportunities > Opportunity Types.

1. Click the + button to add a new Type, or the − button to remove one.

1. Check the Active box for each Type you want to appear in the Opportunity Type dropdown.

Deactivate or delete any Opportunity Types you do not use. This keeps the dropdown menu clean and ensures consistent data entry across your team.

Active Opportunity Types appear in the Type dropdown when creating or editing an Opportunity. You can also filter the Opportunities Board by Type — for example, to see only Opportunities acquired through Cold Calls, Trade Shows, or Referrals. These options can be configured in Settings.

Providing your users with clearly defined options from dropdown lists is the best way to ensure that the data going into Daylite remains consistent. This in turn helps when using that data to search or create Smart Lists.

What Are the Five Opportunity States in Daylite?

Every Opportunity has a State that reflects its current status. A State tracks the Opportunity's current status. Daylite provides five Opportunity States:

• Open — the Opportunity is active and being worked on. Only Open Opportunities appear on the Opportunities Board.
• Won — the client has agreed to move forward, and the Opportunity has been successfully closed. Winning an Opportunity does not automatically create a Project — you must convert it manually if delivery work is needed.
• Lost — the client decided not to proceed. Recording a Lost State along with a State Reason helps you analyze patterns over time.
• Abandoned — your team chose to stop pursuing the Opportunity.
• Suspended — the Opportunity is on hold. It is not actively being worked on but has not been closed as Won or Lost.

Opportunities in any State other than Open are removed from the Opportunities Board but remain visible under All Opportunities in the Sidebar. That is also why Opportunities disappear from the Board when you change the State to Lost or Abandoned, for example.

How Do You Change an Opportunity's State on the Board in Daylite?

As you drag an Opportunity card on the Opportunities Board, four State targets appear at the bottom: Lost, Abandoned, Suspended, and Won. Drop the card onto one of these targets to change the Opportunity's State.

Dropping an Opportunity onto any of these States prompts a window that lets you verify or change the State as well as select a reason. The State is automatically updated in the Details and Activity View.

What Are State Reasons in Daylite?

When you change an Opportunity's State, Daylite prompts you to select a State Reason. State Reasons capture why the Opportunity reached that outcome.

Recording State Reasons consistently helps you identify patterns in your sales Pipeline over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an Opportunity Type and a Category in Daylite?

An Opportunity Type describes what the Opportunity is — for example, New Business or Repeat Business. A Category describes the topic — for example, Web Design or Consulting. An Opportunity can have both a Type and a Category.

Why don't my closed Opportunities appear on the Opportunities Board in Daylite?

The Opportunities Board displays only Opportunities with a State of Open. Won, Lost, Abandoned, and Suspended Opportunities are viewable under All Opportunities in the Sidebar.

Does winning an Opportunity automatically create a Project in Daylite?

No. You must manually convert a Won Opportunity to a Project. See What Is an Opportunity? for details on the conversion process.

What are the default Opportunity Types in Daylite?

Daylite includes two default Opportunity Types: New Business and Repeat Business. You can create additional Types in Settings > Opportunities > Opportunity Types.

Can I filter the Opportunities Board by Type in Daylite?

Yes. The Opportunities Board includes a Type filter that lets you view only Opportunities of a specific Type, such as Cold Calls, Trade Shows, or Referrals. These Type options can be configured in Settings > Opportunities > Opportunity Types.