Salesforce Lead Status can identify exactly how leads move through the sales cycle, from Lead to Opportunity to Closed Customer, by pinpointing their recent engagements. In this blog we cover key differences between Leads and Contacts and dive into how to set up a custom Lead Status.
Hollie Fitzpatrick
Hollie Fitzpatrick
5 mins
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Salesforce Lead Status can identify exactly how leads move through the sales cycle, from Lead to Opportunity to Closed Customer, by pinpointing their recent engagements.
For the sales team, this means having fast and accurate visibility over which leads to prioritise with their time and conversion efforts and easier reporting on the quality of leads in the system.
Before we take a deep dive into exactly how to set up custom Lead Status, let’s identify the key differences between Leads and Contacts within Salesforce.
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Moving Through the Sales Cycle using Salesforce Lead Status:
Leads vs. Contacts in Salesforce
What is Lead Status then?
Table explaining the picklist values
What is Lead Status then? (continued)
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Leads vs. Contacts in Salesforce
Leads
In a nutshell, Leads are individuals that have demonstrated an interest in our products or services.
Through continued engagement with our brand and campaign assets, these individuals may have been marked as Marketing-Qualified Leads (MQL’s) in Pardot and pushed through to Salesforce when they have been deemed ‘sales-ready’.
Once a sales representative has followed up regarding this opportunity, the lead will be converted into a Contact.
Screenshot showing how a lead is converted into a contact in SalesforceImage source: Trailhead
Contacts
Contacts are, therefore, the individuals who are our established ecuador code number point of communication within a target business.
In order for a Contact to have a direct link to an Opportunity in Salesforce, we must use Contact Roles. These roles specify relevant details regarding the person and make it possible to appoint them as the ‘decision-maker’ for an Opportunity, determining their importance.
What is Lead Status then?
Lead Status is a fundamental part of how we segment our Leads so we can quickly see whether we should follow up with them.
As part of the initial setup, Salesforce may have created the following four picklist values:
Open – Not Contacted
Working – Contacted
Closed – Converted
Closed – Not Converted
When a Lead is created, it will be assigned the value ‘Open’ as Default. This means that all leads will have the status of ‘Open – Not Contacted’ until activity on the record is populated.