If you want to build a simple CRM in Notion, you don't need expensive software or a single line of code. One Notion database with a board view tracks every lead from first contact to closed deal.
What you need
- A free Notion account. That's it.
Step 1: Create the Leads database
In Notion, make a new page called Leads CRM, then add a full-page database. Switch it to board view, so each stage becomes a column you can drag cards between. That board is your pipeline, and it is the view you will open every morning.
Step 2: Add six properties
Keep it simple — these six cover a real pipeline:
| Property | Type |
|---|---|
| Name | Title |
| Company | Text |
| Deal value | Number |
| Next step | Text |
| Status | Select |
Step 3: Set the status options
Set the Status select options to: New, Contacted, Meeting booked, Proposal sent, Won, Lost. Five stages are enough — too many stages just slow you down.
Step 4: Add example leads (dummy data only)
[
{ "name": "Sam Patel", "company": "Bright Studio", "deal_value": 500, "status": "New" },
{ "name": "Priya Sharma", "company": "Northwind", "status": "Contacted" },
{ "name": "Alex Chen", "company": "Harbor Labs", "status": "Meeting booked" }
]
Seeing realistic rows makes the pipeline click, and shows you exactly how a deal moves.
Step 5: Work the board
When you contact Sam, drag his card from New to Contacted. When Priya agrees to a call, move her to Meeting booked. Each drag updates the pipeline instantly, and clicking any card shows its full details and next step.
Step 6: The morning habit
Every morning, open the board and work the leftmost columns first. New leads get contacted, contacted leads get a meeting, and every card needs a next step written on it. A lead without a next step is a lead about to stall, so never leave that field blank.
Two useful views
- Table view sorted by deal value — your biggest opportunities at the top.
- Filtered view showing only New and Contacted — your daily follow-up list stays short and clear.
Once this is set up, adding a new lead takes ten seconds: create a card, fill in the name and company, set the status to New, and write the next step.
Watch the full tutorial above. New automation tutorial every day on the StackScale YouTube channel.
Top comments (1)
This is the part most small teams skip — the morning habit. A board is only useful if someone actually works the leftmost columns first instead of just admiring the pipeline.
I'd add one more field: a date for the next follow-up. Otherwise “Contacted” can sit untouched for weeks and still look like progress. Six fields is the right ceiling, though — anything more and people stop updating it.