Free Simple CRM Setup Template: Copy the Columns

A blank page is the reason many customer lists never start. So here is a template you can copy into any spreadsheet in a couple of minutes, with a note on each column and a filled in example. Copy it, fill in your first ten people, and you have a working CRM. This template gives your simple CRM setup a head start.

Seven columns are enough: name, contact, source, stage, next step, next step date, notes. Sort by the date column every morning.

The template

Create a spreadsheet with these column headings in the first row, in this order:

1. NameThe person, and their company if they have one.
2. ContactEmail and phone, in one or two columns.
3. SourceWhere they came from: inbox, form, referral, event, ad, other.
4. StageOne of: new, talking, quote sent, bought, not now.
5. Next stepOne short action, such as "send quote" or "ask about timing".
6. Next step dateA real date for that action.
7. NotesAnything worth remembering, kept short.

If you would like the stage column to stay clean, use a dropdown with those five values. In Google Sheets, select the column, then choose Data, Data validation, Add rule, and pick Dropdown as the criteria. Other spreadsheet apps have a similar feature, so check your app's help page.

A filled example

Here is how three rows might look. These are made up to show the shape.

Notice that every row has a next step and a date, even the one that is parked. That is the single rule that makes the template work.

How to use it

1. Add your ten most active people first. Do not try to load the whole history.
2. Give every row a next step and a date.
3. Each morning, sort by the date column and do what is due today or overdue.
4. After each action, change the next step and date.
5. Once a week, merge repeats, mark won and lost, and move cold people to "not now".

Make filling it in faster

Typing is what puts people off. If you use AI, paste in a few messages and ask: "For each message, give me the name, email, what they want and a suggested next step. Put it in rows matching these columns." Read the output, fix mistakes and paste it in. The lesson goes further and shows how to bring people in from your inbox and forms.

Small changes that help

• Colour rows that are overdue, using conditional formatting on the date column (in Google Sheets: Format, then Conditional formatting).
• Freeze the top row so headings stay visible (in Google Sheets: View, then Freeze, then 1 row).
• Add a filter so you can show only today's rows.

Resist adding more columns until you have used this for a few weeks. If you later want a deal value or tag, add it then.

What to do next

If you want the setup explained step by step, read the complete guide. To keep it alive, follow the weekly routine. And to put the list to work, see a welcome email people open, an email journey and replying to new leads quickly.

Simple CRM setup template: a prompt to fill it from your inbox

Typing is the slow part, so here is a prompt you can adapt. Paste a handful of messages after it, and ask for rows you can copy into the sheet. Remove any private details you do not need to share first.

Read the messages below. For each person who is a real lead or customer, give me one row with these columns: Name, Contact, Source, Stage, Next step, Next step date, Notes. Use the stages new, talking, quote sent, bought, not now. If you are unsure about a detail, leave the cell blank rather than guessing. Today is [date].

The line about leaving blanks matters. Without it, AI may fill gaps with a guess. Always read the result before pasting it in, and correct anything wrong.

A second sheet for rules

At the bottom of the sheet, or on a second tab, write a few lines that define how you use the list. This takes two minutes and saves confusion later, especially if someone else will use it.

1. Who goes on the listAnyone who has shown interest or paid.
2. What each stage meansOne line for each of the five stages.
3. When I reviewThe time of day.
4. What counts as doneA person is closed when they bought, or declined, or moved to not now with a date.

Checking your template works

After a few days, test it with three questions:

• Can I find any person in under ten seconds?
• Does sorting by date show me what to do today?
• Is every active row complete?

If not, trim a column or fix the dates. The template is a starting point and should bend to how you work.

Growing it later

When the daily habit holds, you can add small things. A column for deal value helps if you sell different sized jobs. A column for owner helps if more than one person uses the sheet. A column for last contact date helps you spot people you have not spoken to in a while. Add one at a time and only when you feel the lack of it.

Go further

The template is the structure. Lesson 5.1 shows how to fill it from your inbox and forms, add a next step and date to each person, and ask who to follow up with today. For the full guide, read the setup in order, and see examples for different businesses to adapt the stages.

Questions people ask

Can I use this in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers?

Yes. It is just a table with seven columns. Menu names differ between apps, so check your app's help page for dropdowns, filters and frozen rows.

Should I add a column for deal value?

Only if you will use it. Add it later once the daily habit holds.

Where does the "not now" stage fit?

It is for people who are not ready. Give them a date to check again so they do not vanish.