Sales desk vs retention desk: how brokerage teams work in a CRM

Two desks, two different jobs

The sales desk (often called the conversion desk) works new leads: people who registered on your website or came from a campaign but have not yet funded an account. Its job is to make first contact quickly, answer questions about the platform and guide the lead to verification and a first deposit.

The retention desk works funded clients. Its job is to keep those clients well served: helping with the platform, handling deposit and withdrawal questions, and making sure nobody feels ignored after their first deposit.

Splitting the two jobs is not about hierarchy. It is about focus. An agent with forty fresh leads to call cannot also give careful attention to a client with an open question about a withdrawal.

The sales desk: from new lead to first deposit

A conversion agent's day revolves around the lead list. Typical work includes:

• Calling new sign-ups fast, ideally while the visitor still remembers your brand.
• Setting a status after every contact, so the team knows where each lead stands.
• Leaving comments with the context of each call, so nothing depends on memory.
• Explaining the platform: how to log in to the trading platform, use the client area, upload KYC documents and request a deposit.
• Following up with leads who were busy, unsure or unreachable.

The sales desk is measured on speed and conversion: how fast new leads are contacted, and how many go on to verify and fund an account. Source data matters too, because it tells marketing which campaigns bring leads that actually convert.

The retention desk: looking after funded clients

A retention agent works with a smaller book of clients over a longer time. The work is about relationship and service:

• Welcoming new funded clients after the handover from sales.
• Answering platform questions: orders, take profit and stop loss, margin and account settings.
• Supporting deposits and withdrawals, and checking where a request stands in the approval flow.
• Staying in touch with clients who have gone quiet, to understand whether something is wrong.
• Passing problems on to finance, support or a team leader when needed.

Retention is measured on client activity and satisfaction over time: how many funded clients stay active, how quickly their questions are answered and how many come back to deposit again.

Sales desk vs retention desk at a glance

The handover: where brokerages lose clients

The weakest point between the two desks is the moment a lead becomes a funded client. If the handover is unclear, the client gets two calls from two agents on the same day, or worse, no calls at all. A clean handover usually looks like this:

1. 1The sales agent confirms the first deposit has been approved and leaves a summary comment: what the client trades, what they asked and what was promised in terms of service.
2. 2The team leader or admin assigns the client to a retention agent as the new owner.
3. 3The retention agent reads the full activity log before the first call, so the client never has to repeat themselves.
4. 4The retention agent introduces themselves within the same day and becomes the single point of contact from then on.

The rule that matters most is one owner at a time. Whoever owns the record is responsible for it, and everyone else can see the history.

How both desks work in EVO CRM

EVO CRM has separate sales and retention desks built in, so each team works its own list in the same system. Website sign-ups land in the CRM automatically with their source, and every lead has statuses, comments, owner assignment and an activity log that records every action taken on it.

Access follows the role. Admins control the system, users and permissions; team leaders oversee a desk and its agents; sales agents work the new leads assigned to them; and retention agents work funded clients. With roles and permissions you decide who can see and change what, and new team members are invited by email with their role.

Because the CRM, the back office and EVO WebTrader are one system, a retention agent can see a client's linked trading accounts and transactions without a second login. Every deposit and withdrawal, by any connected payment method (USDT and other crypto, cards, bank transfer or local methods), goes through an approval flow, so agents can tell a client exactly where a request stands. Reports show managers how each desk and its leads are performing.

Some desk tools are still on the way. Follow-up reminders by lead status are coming soon, and phone checks and VoIP, to check numbers and call from the CRM, are available as custom development.

For the full feature tour, read EVO CRM for forex brokers.

What team leaders should watch

A team leader's job is to keep both desks honest and balanced. A few habits help:

• Check untouched leads daily. A new lead with no status after several hours is a lost opportunity.
• Read comments, not just numbers. Comments show whether agents explain the platform clearly or rush the conversation.
• Balance the books. Make sure no agent holds far more leads or clients than they can serve properly.
• Review the handover. Spot clients who were funded but never got a retention call.
• Use the security logs in the back office to see who did what and when, if something needs checking.

Set up your desks with EVO

With EVO you can be live in less than 24 hours, with your sales and retention desks, roles and team set up before day one. The CRM works in English and Arabic with full right-to-left support, and every broker runs on a dedicated, isolated VPS.

EVO plans start from $2,500 per month. See pricing, message us 24/7 on Telegram at @evoplatforms, or contact us to see both desks working in EVO CRM.

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