Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Experience Analyst : Configure lead and opportunity segments

 Lead and Opportunity Segments in Dynamics 365 Sales allow organizations to group and analyze their sales pipeline based on specific attributes, behaviors, or engagement levels. Segmentation helps sales teams identify high-potential leads and opportunities by filtering records using criteria such as industry, geography, buying stage, or past interactions. With segments, sellers can tailor their outreach strategies, prioritize follow-ups, and personalize engagement to maximize conversion. For managers, segments provide better visibility into the health of the pipeline, making it easier to allocate resources, run targeted campaigns, and track performance across different customer groups.


 
What are Segments?

In Dynamics 365 Sales, a segment is a filtered group of records (Leads or Opportunities) created based on defined conditions.
  • Lead Segments = focus on prospects not yet qualified.
  • Opportunity Segments = focus on deals already in the pipeline.
They are especially powerful in Sales Insights and the Sales Accelerator, because sellers work from prioritized, meaningful lists instead of generic record views.

Why Configure Segments?
  •  Helps prioritize high-value leads/opportunities.
  •  Ensures sellers focus on the right records at the right time.
  •  Enables targeted sequences (guided selling).
  •  Provides managers with pipeline visibility for different categories (e.g., hot leads, stalled deals).
Steps to Configure Lead and Opportunity Segments

1. Navigate to Segments
  •  Go to Sales Hub → App Settings → under Sales Insights, select Segments.
  •  Choose whether you want to configure Lead segments or Opportunity segments.
2. Create a New Segment
  • Click + New Segment.
  • Enter:
    • Name (e.g., “High-Value Leads”, “Opportunities Closing This Month”).
    • Entity → Lead or Opportunity.
    • Description (to explain purpose).
 3. Define Segment Conditions (Filters)

Use the query builder to specify rules. Examples:

 Lead Segment Examples
  •  Leads from a specific industry (e.g., Manufacturing).
  •  Leads created in the last 30 days.
  •  Leads with score > 80 (if using lead scoring).
 Opportunity Segment Examples
  • Opportunities with Est. Revenue > \$100,000.
  • Opportunities in Proposal stage.
  • Opportunities with Close Date within next 30 days.
  • Opportunities with no activity in last 14 days (to identify stalled deals).
4. Choose Refresh Type
  • Segments can be dynamic (records are auto-included when they match conditions) or static (fixed set of records at creation).
  • For sales scenarios, dynamic is usually best — it keeps lists up-to-date automatically.
5. Save and Publish
  • Once conditions are defined, save and publish the segment.
  • Now sellers will see this segment in Sales Accelerator as a focused worklist.
Managing Segments

1. Assign Segments to Sequences

  •  You can link segments with sequences so that everyone in the segment follows a guided selling process (e.g., “New Leads Sequence” → send welcome email → schedule intro call).

2. Monitor Segment Performance
  • Sales managers can review metrics like conversion rates, pipeline velocity, and win/loss by segment.
3. Edit or Clone Segments
  • You can update filters at any time.
  •  Cloning is useful when you want a similar segment with slight changes.
4. Deactivate Segments
  •  If a segment is outdated, deactivate it to keep the workspace clean.
Best Practices
  • Align with sales stages → Example: "Cold Leads", "Nurture Leads", "Qualified Leads".
  • Combine with lead scoring for best prioritization.
  • Create opportunity health segments (e.g., “Deals at Risk”).
  • Use dynamic refresh so segments always reflect the latest data.
  • Review segment performance regularly to optimize targeting.
Summary:
Configuring Lead and Opportunity Segments in Dynamics 365 Sales lets you slice your pipeline into meaningful groups, prioritize work, and drive guided selling. By applying filters like industry, stage, revenue, activity history, or AI scores, you ensure sellers spend time where it matters most while managers gain actionable insights into pipeline health.

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