Getting Started for Sales Teams | Prolifi

What you will learn

This guide helps Sales teams understand Prolifi well enough to use it effectively in customer conversations, manage the customer lifecycle, and operate the subscription and quoting tools. By the end of this guide you will:

Know how to navigate the product catalog to understand what you are selling
Understand how to manage and interpret customer records and subscriptions
Know how to create, configure, and convert quotes
Be able to read, explain, and act on invoice states
Understand the discount and pricing override tools available to you

This guide does not assume technical knowledge. You do not need to understand APIs, code, or backend systems to use this guide effectively.

Prerequisites

Before you begin this guide:

Your Prolifi account has been created and you have been assigned a user role
The product catalog has been configured by the Marketing & Strategy team — see Getting Started: Marketing & Strategy
At least one plan exists and is in Active status
You have been given the appropriate Sales role permissions in Prolifi

Section 1 — Understanding What You Are Selling: The Product Catalog

Why this matters: Sales conversations fail when a salesperson cannot clearly explain what the product includes, how it is priced, and what upgrade paths are available. Prolifi’s product catalog is the single source of truth for this information. Understanding how to read and navigate it puts you in control of the conversation.

Key questions the product catalog answers:

What plans and products do we offer?
What does each plan include?
How is each plan priced?
What add-ons are available?
Who can buy what (are there geographic or segment restrictions)?
What happens when a customer wants to upgrade?

1.1 Products, plans, and add-ons

The product catalog is structured in three layers:

Products (see Glossary: Platform Concepts) are the top-level items — the things you sell. For example: “Analytics Platform”, “Enterprise Suite”, “API Access”.

Plans (see Glossary: Platform Concepts) are the packaged versions of each product. A product typically has multiple plans for different customer tiers — for example: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise plans under the Analytics Platform product.

Add-ons (see Glossary: Platform Concepts) are optional extras that can be attached to a base subscription. For example: additional user seats, extra storage, premium support.

1.2 Reading a plan in the catalog

For each plan, you can view:

Pricing: The amount and pricing model (fixed, per-unit, usage-based, etc.)
Billing model: How the customer is charged (recurring monthly, annual, usage-based, etc.)
Entitlements: What the customer is entitled to — how many seats, how much storage, which features (see Glossary: Platform Concepts)
Billing frequency options: Monthly or annual (where available)
Availability: Which markets or geographies this plan can be sold in
Upgrade paths: Which plans a customer can move to from this plan

1.3 Value metrics and pricing

Each plan is priced on a Value Metric (see Glossary: Pricing & Subscription Terms) — the dimension along which pricing scales. Understanding the value metric helps you explain the pricing logic to prospects.

Examples:

“Our per-seat plans charge £50 per seat per month — so a team of 20 pays £1,000/month.”
“Our usage-based plan charges £0.005 per API call — so a customer making 1 million calls per month pays £5,000/month.”
“Our tiered plan charges £1 per call for the first 100,000 calls, then £0.80 per call after that.”

1.4 Upgrade paths

Every plan in the catalog has defined upgrade paths — which higher plans a customer can move to from their current plan. Understanding upgrade paths is essential for identifying upsell opportunities and having informed conversations about what it costs a customer to move up.

When a customer upgrades mid-billing-period, Prolifi automatically calculates proration (see Glossary: Billing Terms) — the customer pays only for the portion of the new plan from the upgrade date to the end of the current billing period, minus credit for the unused portion of the old plan.

Section 2 — Navigating the Customer Module

Why this matters: The customer module is your operational view of every account you manage. A complete customer profile in Prolifi gives you everything you need to understand the health of a relationship — what they are subscribed to, how much they pay, whether payments are up to date, and where upsell opportunities exist.

Key questions the customer module answers:

What is this customer currently subscribed to?
What are they paying and when?
Are there any payment issues?
What are their entitlement usage levels — are they near a limit that triggers an upsell conversation?
What is this customer’s revenue contribution?

2.1 The customer profile

Each customer record in Prolifi contains:

Identity information: Name, email, billing address, account owner
Account status: Active, paused, delinquent (payment overdue)
Subscriptions: All current and historical subscriptions
Payment history: All invoices, payment events, and credit notes
Payment methods on file: Cards or bank accounts associated with this customer
Entitlement summary: Current entitlement balances and consumption levels
Notes and custom fields: Any additional information captured about this customer

2.2 Subscriptions view

Within a customer record, the subscriptions view shows all active and historical subscriptions. For each active subscription you can see:

Current plan: Which plan the customer is on
Billing amount: What they pay and on what frequency
Subscription start date and billing anchor date (see Glossary: Billing Terms)
Next invoice date: When the next invoice will be generated
Subscription state: Active, paused, trial, cancelled (see Glossary: Platform Concepts)
Applied discounts: Any discounts currently on the subscription
Unbilled charges: Charges that have been accrued but not yet invoiced (relevant for usage-based plans)

2.3 Payment history

The payment history tab shows all invoices associated with a customer and their states. Invoice states tell you exactly where each invoice is in its lifecycle:

Invoice state	What it means	Sales action
Pending	Invoice drafted, not yet finalised	No action required
Posted	Invoice sent to the customer	Monitor for payment
Payment Due	Auto-collection is due	No action unless unusual
In Progress	Payment attempt is live	No action
Partial Paid	Part-payment received	May warrant follow-up
Paid	Fully settled	No action
Not Paid	Collection failed, dunning exhausted	Escalate to Finance; potential retention action
Dispute	Customer has disputed the invoice	Coordinate with Finance
Void	Invoice cancelled	Historical reference only

See Glossary: Billing Terms for more on invoice states.

2.4 Upsell opportunities

Prolifi surfaces upsell signals within the customer module:

Entitlement usage approaching limit: If a customer is using 85-100% of a variable entitlement, they are a natural upsell candidate for a higher plan or an add-on that increases their limit.
Consistently high usage on a lower tier: Usage patterns that suggest the customer would benefit from a higher plan.
Single-plan customers: Customers on a base plan who have not adopted relevant add-ons.

Section 3 — Customer Visibility and Management

Why this matters: Having a complete, accurate view of your customer base is the foundation of effective account management and proactive customer success. Prolifi gives Sales teams the visibility to manage accounts without relying on manual processes or external spreadsheets.

3.1 Customer list and filtering

The customer module provides a filterable list of all customers in your account. Filters include:

Subscription status (active, paused, cancelled)
Plan (filter to see all customers on a specific plan)
Account health (e.g., customers with overdue invoices)
Geography / collection country
Revenue contribution (sort by MRR contribution)

3.2 Customer record creation and sync

Customer records can be created directly in Prolifi (manually) or synced automatically via the API integration with your product. For sales-led motions, Sales teams typically create customer records in Prolifi at the point of deal close, before or simultaneously with subscription creation.

Required fields for a customer record:

Name (individual or business)
Email address (for invoice and communication delivery)
Billing address (required for tax calculation)
Currency preference (for multi-currency accounts)

Section 4 — Setting Up Rewards and Discounts

Before you begin this section:

Customer record exists in Prolifi
The applicable plan has been identified

Why this matters: Discounts are a commercial tool — used well, they close deals and reward loyalty. Used without structure, they erode margin and create billing complexity. Understanding the discount tools available in Prolifi allows you to use them effectively and within agreed commercial policy.

4.1 Price ramps

A Price Ramp (see Glossary: Pricing & Subscription Terms) is a scheduled pricing structure where the effective price changes over time. As a sales tool, price ramps allow you to:

Offer a lower introductory rate to reduce friction at deal close
Guarantee the customer a structured, predictable price increase path
Move customers toward full commercial value while maintaining deal momentum

Price ramps are typically configured by a Sales Manager or Finance team member with appropriate permissions, and are applied at the subscription level for customer-specific ramps or at the plan level for standard ramps.

4.2 Price overrides

A price override sets a specific price for a customer that differs from the standard plan pricing. This is used for individually negotiated commercial arrangements.

Price overrides are distinct from discounts:

Discount: Defined as a percentage or amount off the standard price (e.g., “20% off for 6 months”)
Price override: Defines the exact price directly (e.g., “Enterprise plan at £800/month instead of £1,000/month”)

Overrides may require approval depending on your organisation’s configured approval workflow.

4.3 Discount offers

Discounts in Prolifi can be configured as:

Percentage discount: A percentage off the subscription amount (e.g., 15% off)
Fixed amount discount: A fixed reduction in the invoice amount (e.g., £100 off per month)
Duration: Applied once, for a defined number of periods, or for the lifetime of the subscription

Discounts can be created by authorised Sales team members and applied to new or existing subscriptions.

4.4 Contracts

For enterprise customers with specific commercial terms, Prolifi supports contract-level configuration that captures:

Contract start and end dates
Minimum commitment period
Agreed price (including any locked pricing for the contract term)
Auto-renewal settings
Special terms (notes or attached documents)

Contract records link to the subscription and ensure that any mid-contract changes are flagged appropriately.

Section 5 — Navigating the Subscription Manager

Why this matters: The Subscription Manager is the Sales team’s operational view of the revenue contribution of individual accounts. It is the primary tool for understanding subscription health, billing status, and what is happening at the account level.

Key questions the Subscription Manager answers:

What is this subscription worth (monthly/annually)?
When is the next billing event?
What are the current entitlement balances?
Are there unbilled usage charges accruing?
Has there been any recent billing activity?

5.1 Revenue contribution

Each subscription shows its MRR contribution — the normalised monthly value of the subscription, regardless of billing frequency. An annual subscription at £12,000/year shows as £1,000/month MRR.

This view allows you to understand the revenue weight of individual accounts and prioritise account management activity accordingly.

5.2 Billing dates

For each subscription you can see:

Billing anchor date (see Glossary: Billing Terms): The date on which billing periods are anchored
Next invoice date: The date the next invoice will be generated
Current period: The start and end dates of the current billing period
Last invoice date: When the most recent invoice was issued

5.3 Plan details

Within the Subscription Manager, plan details show:

The current plan the customer is on
The pricing and billing model for that plan
Any discounts or price overrides applied
The price ramp schedule (if applicable)

5.4 Upgrade options

From the Subscription Manager, authorised Sales team members can initiate plan upgrades or downgrades. The system will preview the proration calculation before the change is confirmed — so you can show the customer exactly what the financial impact will be.

5.5 Entitlement usage

The entitlement usage panel shows, for each entitlement on the subscription:

The total entitlement (the limit)
The consumed amount (how much has been used)
The remaining balance
The reset date (when the entitlement resets at the start of the next period)
Whether any carry-over is in effect (see Glossary: Platform Concepts)

Approaching entitlement limits are highlighted to prompt Sales to initiate an upsell conversation.

5.6 Unbilled charges

For subscriptions with usage-based components, the unbilled charges view shows the usage accumulated in the current billing period that has not yet been invoiced. This helps Sales teams understand the likely size of the next invoice — useful context for customer conversations.

5.7 Payment history

The payment history panel within the Subscription Manager shows all invoices and payment events associated with this specific subscription — the same data as the Customer module’s payment history but filtered to a single subscription.

Section 6 — Setting Up and Viewing Quotes

Before you begin this section:

Customer record exists in Prolifi
The applicable plan and any discounts or terms have been agreed

Why this matters: Quotes in Prolifi create a formal, auditable record of the commercial terms offered to a prospect or existing customer. Quotes that are accepted in Prolifi convert directly to subscriptions — eliminating the manual work of re-entering deal terms and reducing the risk of billing inconsistencies.

6.1 Creating a quote

A quote in Prolifi captures:

Customer: The customer or prospect the quote is for
Plan: The plan(s) being quoted
Billing model and frequency: How the customer will be billed
Pricing: Standard pricing, with any approved discounts or price overrides applied
Price ramp schedule: If applicable
Contract terms: Minimum commitment, auto-renewal settings
Expiry date: The date by which the quote must be accepted
Notes: Internal notes or customer-facing terms

6.2 Quote configuration

When configuring a quote, you build the commercial structure that will become the subscription. This includes:

Selecting the product and plan
Applying any approved discounts
Setting contract terms (if applicable)
Configuring price ramps (if applicable)
Adding any add-ons

The quote preview shows the customer exactly what they will see — including the pricing structure, the billing schedule, and the total commitment.

6.3 Approval workflow

Depending on your organisation’s Prolifi configuration, certain quote configurations may trigger an approval workflow:

Quotes above a defined contract value
Quotes with discounts above a defined percentage
Quotes with non-standard contract terms

When an approval is required, the quote is placed in a “Pending Approval” state and routed to the configured approver (typically a Sales Manager or Finance contact). The quote cannot be sent to the customer until it is approved.

6.4 Converting a quote to a subscription

When a prospect accepts a quote:

Mark the quote as “Accepted” in Prolifi
The system creates a subscription based on the quote configuration
Entitlements are provisioned automatically on subscription creation
The first invoice is generated based on the billing model configuration
Payment collection begins (if auto-collection is configured)

The conversion is a single action — the quote terms automatically become the subscription terms, removing any manual data transfer step.

Section 7 — Viewing Invoices

Why this matters: Invoice visibility allows Sales teams to spot billing issues before they become customer relationship problems. A customer who has an unresolved “Not Paid” invoice is at higher churn risk than their account health score might suggest. Sales teams with invoice visibility can act proactively.

7.1 Invoice states — full reference

State	What it means	Who takes action
Pending	Invoice has been drafted. Not yet sent to the customer.	No action — system action pending
Posted	Invoice has been finalised and sent. Awaiting payment.	Monitor
Payment Due	Auto-collection is scheduled. Will be attempted soon.	No action required
In Progress	A payment collection attempt is currently in progress.	No action — await result
Partial Paid	Customer has made a partial payment. Balance outstanding.	Sales may follow up with customer; Finance to manage
Paid	Invoice fully settled. No action required.	No action
Not Paid	All collection attempts have failed. Dunning exhausted.	Escalate to Finance; Sales may engage customer
Dispute	Customer has disputed this invoice.	Coordinate with Finance and escalate as needed
Void	Invoice has been cancelled. No payment is expected or due.	No action — historical record

7.2 Invoice line items

Each invoice shows its component line items:

Base subscription charge: The recurring plan amount for this period
Proration adjustments: Credits or charges from mid-period plan changes
Usage charges: Variable amounts from usage-based components
Discount line items: The discount amount and type applied
Tax: The calculated tax amount with rate and jurisdiction reference
Total due: The net amount payable

Section 8 — Understanding Invoice Actions

Why this matters: Invoice actions allow authorised team members to manage the billing lifecycle in response to customer situations. Knowing which actions are available — and when to use them — makes Sales teams more effective in resolving billing-adjacent customer issues.

The following actions are available on invoices, subject to user role permissions:

Action	When to use it	Who can typically perform it
Send invoice	Manually send or re-send an invoice to the customer	Sales, Finance
Record offline payment	Record a bank transfer or other manual payment against an invoice	Finance (with Sales visibility)
Apply credit note	Apply a credit note to reduce the invoice balance	Finance
Void invoice	Cancel an invoice that should not have been issued	Finance
Add note	Add an internal note to the invoice record	Sales, Finance
Request dispute review	Flag a disputed invoice for internal review	Sales, Finance
Retry payment	Manually trigger a payment collection attempt	Finance
Apply discount	Apply a discount to an unpaid invoice (where permitted)	Finance with Sales approval

The availability of these actions depends on the invoice state and your user role permissions. Not all actions are available on all invoices in all states. For example, you cannot void an invoice that has already been paid.

What comes next

For account expansion: Use entitlement usage data to identify upsell conversations. When a customer approaches their limit, initiate an upgrade discussion using the plan upgrade flow in the Subscription Manager.
For renewal management: Monitor renewal dates via the subscription billing date view. Begin renewal conversations in advance of the commitment end date.
For Finance handoff: If you identify a payment issue (Not Paid invoice, dispute), escalate promptly to Finance and note the account in the customer record.

Cross-references

Glossary: Platform Concepts
Getting Started: Marketing & Strategy — how the product catalog was built
Getting Started: Finance — Finance team’s view of invoices and billing operations
Billing Models Reference — understanding all billing models in detail
Product Catalog & Pricing Reference