Leads are potential customers or enquiries that have not become customers yet.
Typical lead stages
- New: the enquiry has arrived and needs review.
- Contacted: someone has replied, called, or started a conversation.
- Qualified: the enquiry looks like a good fit.
- Proposal Sent: pricing, scope, or proposal details have been sent.
- Customer: the lead has converted.
- Lost: the opportunity did not move forward.
Good follow-up habits
- Use lead sources so you know where enquiries come from.
- Add notes after calls, emails, and meetings.
- Set reminders for follow-ups instead of relying on memory.
- Attach useful files or messages to the lead record.
Converting a lead
- Convert the lead when the business becomes a customer or a serious opportunity needs customer-level records.
- Check contact details before conversion so the customer record starts cleanly.
Good to know: Lead quality depends more on consistent follow-up than on having too many stages.