Converting leads

As you work with potential customers (your leads) at some point you’ll want to convert them from a lead to a contact. In other words, you’re progressing this opportunity through the sales pipeline and the lead has become a qualified lead.

When you convert a lead to a contact, you can simply convert the lead to a contact, or you can additionally create a new deal for the converted lead, and also create a task for the converted lead (for example, prompting you to follow up with them).

 To convert a lead to a contact

1. From the Leads page, click the lead you want to convert.
2. Click the Convert button.
3. Update the lead’s profile information as needed and then optionally create a new deal or task by selecting the Create a deal for the converted lead or Create a task for each converted lead checkboxes.
4. Click the Convert button.

You can also convert multiple leads at one time using either the Index or Table views in the Leads page.

To convert leads in bulk

1. Choose the Leads page and then click the check box next to the name of the leads you want to convert.
2. When you’ve selected all the leads or contacts you want to convert, click the Convert button that is available at the top of the list.
3. You’ll see a dialog similar to the one for converting a single lead. You won’t have the option to edit the lead name and company, but you can optionally create a new deal or task by selecting the Create a deal for the converted lead or Create a task for each converted lead checkboxes.
4. Click the Convert button.

Your leads are converted to contacts and new deals and tasks, if added, are included on the converted lead’s contact card. New deals are classified as Incoming in your sales pipeline.

The following conditions and rules apply when converting leads to contacts:

• A lead’s tags are handled in the following ways:
• When you convert a lead, its tags are also added to the new contact card and the new deal card (if that option was chosen).
• If you chose to also add a deal when converting, the lead’s tags are added to the Tags tab in the Prospects and Customers settings page.
• If you did not create a deal when converting a lead, its tags are only added to the Tags tab in the Contacts settings page.
• If you change a contact from a prospect or customer back to a regular contact, no tags are removed (all tags remain).
• If you have allowed it, when you convert a lead to a contact, your custom fields are also transferred into the new contact card. You define this when you set up the custom field (see Creating and managing custom fields).
• When you convert multiple leads in bulk and choose to also create a new deal, the new deal is named after the lead’s name. You can edit the deal to update the name as needed.
• Converting a lead to a contact is a one way action in Sell. You don’t convert contacts back to leads. However, if you’ve accidentally converted a lead to a contact, you have several options for undoing the conversion. For more information, see Converting a contact back to a lead.