What Is an Opportunity in a Sales Pipeline?

An opportunity is a specific, qualified deal in progress with a company — distinct from a lead, which is an unqualified prospect that hasn't yet been confirmed as a real, in-progress deal. An opportunity is tied to a company (and usually a contact), carries an estimated deal amount, a probability of closing, and an expected close date, and is owned by the salesperson working it.

Opportunities move through a defined set of pipeline stages (see "pipeline stage") from initial qualification through to a closed-won or closed-lost outcome, with a reason captured when a deal is lost. A lead converts into an opportunity once it's confirmed as worth actively pursuing — that conversion is recorded, so the opportunity's history traces back to the lead it came from rather than starting from a blank record.