CRM LIFECYCLE WORKFLOW

Lead Management Software: How to Manage Sales Leads

Day-to-day operational guide to working sales leads in Smart Business 360 — from first capture and lead scoring through to customer conversion or property unit registration.
Audience: Sales Agent, Sales Manager.

The Lead Record Anatomy

Every sales lead in Smart Business 360 comprises structured field groups:

Field Group	Contained Fields
Identity	Company name, contact first/last name, email, phone, mobile, website
Location	Street address, city, state, postal code, country
Classification	Industry, lead source, active lead status
Qualification	Estimated deal value, currency, budget, requirements, decision timeframe
Scoring	AI lead score, conversion probability index
Ownership	Assigned sales user, next follow-up date
Outcome	Won reason, lost reason (recorded once lead is closed)
Attribution	Marketing campaign source, tag markers

AI Lead Scoring Note: Every field in the Qualification group feeds the AI lead scoring model (estimated value, lead source channel, and agent response speed directly determine the score).

Views for Working Leads

View Name	Shows & Operational Purpose
All leads	Every lead visible within your assigned role scope
My leads	Leads assigned directly to you (Start every working session here)
Pipeline	Kanban board view by deal stage (see Sales Pipeline Management)
Details	Full lead record view: complete fields, activity timeline, internal notes

Best Practice: Start each sales session in My leads, not the full list. Working from a scoped view keeps a busy pipeline organized and prevents unattended leads.

Creating a Lead (6 Steps)

Navigate to Create ScreenGo to CRM → Leads → Create.

Fill Core Contact InfoComplete Identity, Location, and Classification fields.

Select Consistent Lead SourceRecord lead source using a consistent value (this directly impacts AI source scoring).

Enter Estimated Deal ValueEnter estimated value if known. (This is the single highest-weighted scoring input).

Assign Sales OwnerAssign to a sales agent or leave unassigned for sales manager triage.

Save Lead RecordClick Save. Requires permission: CRM.Lead.Create.

Logging Activity (3 Steps)

Every call, email, meeting, or site visit must be logged as an activity against the lead. Activity count and recency are direct inputs to the AI lead scoring engine; a lead with no logged activity appears cold to the scoring model even if actively worked.

Open Lead RecordOpen the target lead record in Details view.

Select Add ActivityClick the Add activity button.

Record Details & TimestampRecord what happened, discussion notes, and date/time timestamp.

Updating Lead Status Progression

Lead status moves through a defined sales progression pipeline:

New → Contacted → Qualified → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed Won / Closed Lost

Update status as work progresses to drive dashboard reporting. Requires permission: CRM.Lead.Update.

Lead Scoring & AI Rescoring

Lead scores and conversion probabilities are generated automatically. Manual score adjustments are allowed via CRM.Lead.Score when automatic scores do not reflect unlogged phone discussion details.

Rule: Manual score overrides should be exceptions. If scores are routinely overridden, the underlying data (source values, activity logging, response speed) requires correction. Fix the data input, not the output.

Converting a Qualified Lead

1. Convert to Customer Master Record (3 Steps):

Open Qualified LeadOpen the qualified lead record.

Click Convert to CustomerClick the Convert to customer action button.

Confirm Data TransferConfirm customer details carried across. (All activities, notes, and campaign attribution carry over intact; nothing is discarded). Requires: CRM.Lead.Convert.

2. Convert into Property Registration (Real Estate):

For real estate businesses, a converted lead can move directly into a Guided Unit Registration Journey, transitioning from lead to booked unit without re-entering customer data in Property & Sales.

Reassigning & Bulk Actions Permissions

Bulk Action	Required Permission Key
Change Owner	`CRM.Lead.ChangeOwner`
Bulk Delete	`CRM.Lead.Delete`
Bulk Edit	`CRM.Lead.BulkEdit`
Export to Excel	`CRM.Lead.Export`
Import from Template	`CRM.Lead.Import`

Import Tip: Always download the official import template before building import spreadsheets. Column mismatches in custom spreadsheets are the primary cause of import errors.

Recovering Dead & Stale Leads

Industry Conversion Insight:

Industry statistics indicate that 84% of CRM leads go untouched after 30 days. Reactivated dormant leads convert at 2x to 3x the rate of brand-new leads because initial interest is already established.

Practical Stale-Lead Revival Routine (Steps 13-16):

Filter Stale Leads: Filter leads by status New or Contacted with zero activity in 14+ days.
Batch Review: Review leads to separate viable prospects from genuinely dead leads.
Re-engage Viable Leads: Log a fresh activity and reach out directly (do not just bump the status tag).
Mark Dead Leads Closed Lost: For dead leads, set status to Closed Lost with a lost reason. Leaving dead leads in New status pollutes pipeline metrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Filter by inactivity (14+ days), re-engage viable leads with a new logged activity, and formally close dead leads as Closed Lost rather than leaving them unmarked in the pipeline.

Yes! Lead source is a direct AI lead-scoring input. Referral sources score highest, followed by website/online, walk-in, and campaign/marketing sources.

Yes, but converting a lead without logged activity history provides your team no context on discussion details. Always log activity as you go.

Attribution is retained and carried through to the customer record, preserving campaign ROI reporting across marketing analytics.

Use the provided template and validate a small batch first before importing large lead datasets into the system.

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