Workflow 1: Lead Intake & Conversion Process
This workflow describes the complete operational process for capturing a new lead, managing the follow-up cycle, and converting a qualified prospect into an active customer record. Following this workflow consistently ensures no lead is lost to poor process, every interaction is tracked, and conversions are completed without data loss.
Prerequisites before starting:
- You have Create Leads and Edit Leads permissions assigned to your role.
- Lead sources and status labels are configured under Setup > Leads.
- The staff member performing conversions has Create Clients permission.
- At least one follow-up reminder automation is enabled under Setup > Automation.
Quick Steps Summary
- Create lead with full contact info, source, status, and owner
- Log notes and schedule follow-up task immediately
- Update status after every meaningful interaction
- Convert to customer when qualified — verify client record created
- Link first invoice or activity to close the loop
Step-by-Step Workflow
- Create the Lead Record: Navigate to Leads > New Lead. Enter the full contact name, phone number, email address, company (if applicable), lead source (e.g. Website, Referral, Social), and initial status (typically New). Assign the lead to the responsible staff member immediately — unassigned leads are frequently missed.
- Add Initial Context: Before saving, add an initial note describing how and why the lead was captured, any qualifying information already known (service interest, budget, timeline), and any commitment made to the prospect during first contact (e.g. "Will call back within 2 hours").
- Save and Open the Lead Profile: Click Save. The lead is created and you are redirected to the lead profile. Verify all entered data is displayed correctly.
- Create a Follow-Up Task: Immediately create a follow-up task from the Tasks panel on the lead profile. Set a due date appropriate to the urgency (usually within 24 hours for warm leads). Assign the task to the lead owner and add a note about the intended action (e.g. "Call to introduce services and gauge interest").
- Log Every Interaction: After each call, message, or meeting with the lead, add a note or activity log entry to the timeline. Include: date, channel used, what was discussed, any decisions or commitments, and the next agreed step.
- Advance the Status: After each meaningful step, update the lead status to reflect the current position in the funnel — New > Contacted > Qualified > Proposal Sent > Negotiating > Won / Lost. Stale or inaccurate statuses undermine pipeline reporting accuracy.
- Convert to Customer: When the lead is qualified and ready to proceed, open the lead profile and click Convert to Customer. A conversion confirmation appears. Confirm the data being carried across and click Complete.
- Verify the Customer Record: After conversion, you are redirected to the new client profile. Confirm the following are correctly populated: name, billing email, phone, company, and any address fields. Add missing billing information (currency, tax ID, payment terms) now.
- Link First Activity: Create the first invoice, proposal, or appointment from within the new client profile to confirm the conversion completed successfully and the relationship is active in the system.
Conversion Caution: Before converting, search the client list by email to check for an existing record. Converting a lead that maps to an existing client creates a duplicate — merge duplicates immediately if found using the admin merge tool.
Expected Outcomes
- Every lead has a complete profile, an assigned owner, and at least one scheduled follow-up task from the moment of creation.
- The lead timeline provides a complete, chronological record of every interaction without gaps.
- Qualified leads convert to client records with no data loss and are immediately ready for invoicing.
- Lost leads are marked as Lost with a reason — they remain in the system for reporting and future re-engagement.
Common Errors
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot create lead | Missing create permission | Request Leads: Create permission from your admin. |
| Conversion button not visible | Required lead fields incomplete | Complete all required fields on the lead profile, then retry. |
| Duplicate customer created after conversion | No duplicate check before converting | Search the client list before converting. Merge duplicates via admin tools. |
| Follow-up reminders not triggering | Automation not enabled or cron not running | Enable lead follow-up reminders under Setup > Automation and verify system cron is active. |