Lead Management & CRM Mastery

This lesson focuses on tracking every lead from cold outreach to close, building a system that ensures no opportunity slips through the cracks.

Lead Stages & Pipeline Workflow

Each lead has a clear stage:

1. Cold – sourced but untouched

2. Contacted – sent 1–3 emails or calls

3. Warm Qualified – replied and vetted

4. Proposal – visit, mock-up, or walkthrough

5. Negotiation – terms, install, insurance

6. Closed Won – signed and scheduled

7. Closed Lost – tagged with loss reason

8. Nurture Recycle – follow-up in 60–90 days

Track minimum data: company, contact, role, email/phone, source, stage, last touch, next action, deal value, close %, and loss reason if applicable.

Sheet/CRM Setup & Automations

Core CRM or sheet fields:

ID, company, contact, email, phone, stage (dropdown), last/next touch dates, deal owner, value, close %, estimated close date, source channel, notes.

Use color rules to automate follow-ups: Red = overdue, Yellow = due today, Green = future touch. Formula: =IF(TODAY()>[Next Touch],"Overdue","").

View types:

• Kanban by stage (Trello/Airtable style)

• Calendar for follow-up scheduling

• Dashboard for KPIs and health checks

Rituals, Metrics & Optimization

Daily: clear overdue tasks, log all touches. Weekly: recycle stalled leads, update next steps, review top-value deals. Monthly: clean data, fix typos, tweak scripts based on objections.

Key metrics:

• Leads added per week

• Response & meeting rates

• Days from 1st touch to close

• Close rate by source

• Pipeline value

• Top win/loss reasons

Maintain 60–90 day nurtures via seasonal promos or product emails to stay top-of-mind.