Tracking · CRM Setup & Required Fields

Design a Deal Object Schema for a Retainer Agency

Architect a Deal object that handles MRR, contract length, renewal dates, and expansion deals cleanly — built for retainer agencies, not SaaS.

foundermanagerAdvanced8-10 hours of CRM architecture
When to use
Use this when your CRM was built for one-time deals and now you're trying to shoehorn 12-month retainers into it — your forecast double-counts revenue, renewals get forgotten, and expansions can't be attributed. This prompt redesigns the Deal object for how retainer agencies actually sell.
The prompt
You are a CRM architect who has rebuilt the Deal object at 20+ retainer-based agencies and knows where SaaS-flavored CRM defaults break down for services.
Agency: [AGENCY_NAME] | CRM: [CRM_TOOL] | Service mix: [SERVICE_MIX] | Typical contract length: [CONTRACT_LENGTH] | Expansion frequency: [EXPANSION_FREQUENCY] | Renewal motion: [RENEWAL_MOTION] | Current Deal pain: [DEAL_PAIN]
Design a Deal object schema that cleanly separates: new business, renewal, expansion, and downgrade deals — without double-counting revenue. Cover MRR, one-time fees, contract dates, auto-renewal flags, and the parent/child relationship for renewals and expansions.

- Distinguish Deal Type clearly (New, Renewal, Expansion, Downgrade, Churn) and define the lifecycle for each
- MRR and TCV must be calculated, not manually entered
- Renewal deals must link to the original parent deal
- Forecast must roll up new business without double-counting renewals
- Include the close-won automation that creates the renewal deal automatically

Section 1: Deal Type definitions and lifecycle. Section 2: full field spec table (Field | Type | Required | Calculated? | Notes). Section 3: parent/child relationship diagram in ASCII. Section 4: 3 worked examples (new deal, expansion, renewal).
Variables
  • [AGENCY_NAME] — Your agency's name
  • [CRM_TOOL] — HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, etc.
  • [SERVICE_MIX] — Retainer-only, retainer + projects, etc.
  • [CONTRACT_LENGTH] — Typical contract term (3 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo)
  • [EXPANSION_FREQUENCY] — How often clients expand (rare, common, planned)
  • [RENEWAL_MOTION] — Auto-renew, manual renewal call, hybrid
  • [DEAL_PAIN] — What breaks today (double counting, missed renewals, no expansion attribution)
Example input
Agency: Foundry Marketing | CRM: HubSpot Pro | Mix: 90% retainer + 10% project work | Contract: 6 mo initial, monthly after | Expansion: 30% of clients expand within 6 mo | Renewal: manual call at month 5 | Pain: forecast double-counts renewals, expansion shows as 'new business' inflating growth metrics
Example output
**Deal Types**
- New Business: first contract with a new company. Counts in new-logo MRR.
- Renewal: same company + same services, post-initial term. Counts toward retention, NOT new-logo.
- Expansion: same company, NEW service line or increased MRR mid-contract. Counts in expansion MRR.
- Downgrade/Churn: tracked for net revenue retention.

**Fields** (abridged)
| Field | Type | Required | Calc? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deal Type | Picklist | Y | N | New/Renewal/Expansion/Downgrade |
| Parent Deal | Lookup | Y if Renewal or Expansion | N | Links to original |
| MRR | Currency | Y | N | Monthly recurring |
| Contract Months | Number | Y | N | — |
| TCV | Currency | N | Y | MRR × months + one-time |
| Renewal Date | Date | Y | Y | Close date + contract months |
| Auto-Renewal | Checkbox | Y | N | Drives renewal task automation |

**Parent/Child:**
```
Deal #101 (New, $5k MRR, 6 mo)
  ├── Deal #145 (Expansion, +$2k MRR, parent #101)
  └── Deal #178 (Renewal, $7k MRR, 12 mo, parent #101)
```

**Examples:** (1) New SEO deal = $5k MRR, type New. (2) Add Paid Social 3 mo in = +$2k MRR Expansion deal, parent links to #101. (3) Month 5 renewal call closes 12-mo at $7k = Renewal deal, parent #101, rolls to retention not new-logo.
Pro tips
  • Never put renewals in the same forecast bucket as new business. It hides churn and inflates growth narratives.
  • Auto-create the renewal deal 60 days before renewal date — the #1 cause of missed renewals is 'we forgot it was coming up.'
  • Track expansion as its own Deal Type with a parent link. Otherwise you can't answer 'how much expansion revenue did we close last quarter?'
Works with
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