Leads

12/5/25About 13 minCRMGuide

Leads Management Training Guide

Overview

The Leads page helps you track and manage potential customers from initial inquiry through to conversion. This guide will walk you through all features and best practices for managing leads effectively.

Accessing the Leads Page

Navigate to: Admin → CRM → Leads

The Leads page displays all captured leads in a table format with the following information:

Lead ID
Created date and time
Contact details (name, email, phone)
Lead source
Current status
Assigned agent

Understanding Lead Sources

Leads can come from multiple sources, and each is tagged for tracking and reporting purposes:

Primary Lead Sources

Booking Enquiry Form (Source ID: 1)
- Customer flight and accommodation requests
- Complete travel requirement details
Contact Us Form (Source ID: 2)
- General inquiries and questions
- Customer service requests
Package Enquiry Form (Source ID: 3)
- Interest in specific travel packages
- Package-specific questions
Manual Entry (Source ID: 8)
- Leads added directly by agents
- Automatically assigned when you create a lead manually

When to Use Manual Lead Entry

Use manual entry for:

Trade show contacts
Phone inquiries not from forms
Referrals from existing customers
Walk-in customers
Email inquiries sent to general inbox
Social media inquiries

Note: Additional lead sources may be configured in your system (e.g., social media campaigns, referrals, events). Check with your administrator for a complete list specific to your organization.

Understanding the Lead Status Workflow (State Machine)

The system uses a State Machine to manage lead progression through a structured workflow. This ensures consistent handling of leads from initial contact to conversion.

Viewing the State Machine

Navigate to: Admin → Ref Data → State Machine

Here you'll see a visual timeline showing all possible status transitions in the lead lifecycle.

The Complete Lead Journey

The lead workflow follows this sequence:

1. New (Initial Stage)

When a lead first enters the system, it starts as "New". From here you can move to:

Qualified - Lead meets criteria for follow-up
Unqualified - Lead doesn't meet criteria

2. Qualified (Assessment Complete)

Once qualified, you can move to:

Unreached - Attempting to make contact
Reached - Successfully made contact

3. Unqualified (Needs Reassessment)

Can be moved back to:

Qualified - If circumstances change

4. Unreached (Contact Attempts)

When trying to reach the lead:

Retry Contact - Need another attempt
Not Reached - Unable to contact after multiple tries
Reached - Successfully contacted

5. Retry Contact (Additional Attempts)

Continue trying to reach:

Not Reached - Still unable to contact
Reached - Successfully contacted

6. Reached (Initial Contact Made)

After making contact:

Not Interested - Lead declines services
Follow-up Required - Need to schedule follow-up
Interested - Lead expresses interest (creates Deal)

7. Follow-up Required (Scheduling)

Move to:

Follow-up Scheduled - Appointment set

8. Follow-up Scheduled (Appointment Set)

After follow-up:

Interested - Lead expresses interest
Not Interested - Lead declines

9. Interested (Deal Created)

Lead shows genuine interest:

Preparing Quotation - Begin quote creation

10. Preparing Quotation (Quote Development)

Move to:

Quotation Sent - Quote delivered to customer

11. Quotation Sent (Awaiting Response)

Customer decides:

Quote Accepted - Customer accepts quote
Quote Rejected - Customer declines quote

12. Quote Accepted (Moving Forward)

Proceed to:

Generating Payment Link - Create payment option

13. Generating Payment Link (Payment Setup)

Move to:

Awaiting Payment - Payment link sent

14. Awaiting Payment (Payment Pending)

Customer payment action:

Payment Received - Payment successful
Payment Not Received - Payment not completed

15. Payment Received (Success!)

Final step:

Won 🏆 - Deal successfully closed!

16. Payment Not Received (Recovery Options)

Can move to:

Generating Payment Link - Resend payment link
Awaiting Payment - Continue waiting
Lost - Deal lost

Additional Document Workflow Statuses

Awaiting Documents → Documents Not Received

Documents Received → Verifying Documents

Verifying Documents →

Documents Verified → Generating Payment Link
Documents Not Verified → Awaiting Documents or Lost

Documents Not Received → Awaiting Documents or Lost

Status Transition Rules

Important: The system only allows you to move leads to valid next statuses based on the State Machine. You cannot skip stages or move backward unless specifically permitted by the workflow.

When you open the "Move Status To" dropdown, you'll only see valid next statuses based on:

Your current status
The state machine configuration
Your current stage

Examples:

✓ You CAN move from "Qualified" to "Unreached"
✓ You CAN move from "New" to "Qualified" or "Unqualified"
✗ You CANNOT move from "New" directly to "Quotation Sent"
✗ You CANNOT move from "New" directly to "Reached" or "Interested"

If the "Move Status To" dropdown shows no options or is disabled, it means:

The lead has progressed beyond movable stages
Status changes must be made in the Deals module
The lead may be in a terminal status (Won/Lost)

Lead Status Management

Understanding Stages

Leads progress through three main stages visible in the lead interface:

Lead Generation - Initial capture of lead information
Lead Qualification - Assessment and contact attempts
Contact - Active communication with the lead

Movable vs Non-Movable Stages

Not all lead stages allow status changes. The system restricts status updates to protect data integrity as leads progress through the pipeline.

Movable Stages (Status Can Be Changed in Leads Page)

Lead Generation - Initial capture phase
Lead Qualification - Assessment and contact phase
Contact - Active communication phase

In these stages, you can change lead status using the "Move Status To" dropdown in the Leads page.

Non-Movable Stages (Status Must Be Changed in Deals Page)

Once a lead progresses beyond the "Contact" stage into the deals pipeline (Preparing Quotation, Quotation Sent, Payment stages, etc.), status changes must be made from the Deals page, not the Leads page.

Why? After a deal is created, the record transitions from lead management to deal management, requiring different workflows and permissions. The Deals module has additional features for quotations, payments, and closing processes.

Available Statuses in Lead Interface

The Leads page displays only statuses relevant to the early stages of customer acquisition:

Statuses You WILL See in Leads:

New
Qualified / Unqualified
Unreached / Reached
Retry Contact / Not Reached
Follow-up Required / Follow-up Scheduled
Not Interested
Interested

Statuses You WON'T See in Leads:

Preparing Quotation
Quotation Sent
Quote Accepted / Quote Rejected
Generating Payment Link
Awaiting Payment
Payment Received / Payment Not Received
Awaiting Documents (and related document statuses)
Won / Lost

Why the Difference? The Leads page focuses on the early stages up to "Interested." All subsequent statuses appear only in the Deals page after a lead converts to "Interested" and a deal is created.

Note: The full State Machine contains many more statuses that become relevant as deals progress through the sales pipeline.

Moving a Lead Status

Open the lead details (click the edit icon or form capture details)
Locate the "Move Status To" dropdown
Select the new status (only valid transitions will appear)
Ensure all requirements are met (e.g., contact exists for "Interested")
Click Save or Submit
The system validates the move based on the State Machine rules

Important: You can only move leads to statuses within movable stages and according to State Machine workflow rules.

What Happens When Moving to "Interested"

When you move a lead to "Interested" status, this is a significant milestone that triggers automatic deal creation.

Automatic Actions

The system automatically:

Creates a Deal Record with:
- Initial value: 0 ZAR (to be updated later in the deal)
- Currency: ZAR
- Probability: 20% (initial probability)
- Expected close date: Calculated automatically
- Owner: Inherited from the lead's assigned agent
- Status: "Preparing Quotation"
- Linked to the lead and contact
Updates Lead Status to "Preparing Quotation"
Transfers Ownership - The deal inherits the assigned agent from the lead
Links Contact - Associates the contact record with the new deal
Creates Audit Trail - Records who created the deal and when

Important Considerations

This is a One-Way Transition: Once a deal is created, further status updates happen in the Deals module, not the Leads page. You cannot move the status back to earlier lead stages.

Contact is Required: The system will not allow you to move to "Interested" without an existing contact record (see Contact Requirement section below).

Next Steps After "Interested": After saving, you should:

Navigate to the Deals page to view the new deal
Update the deal value with an accurate estimate
Begin preparing the quotation
Add any additional deal notes or requirements

Contact Requirement for "Interested" Status

A critical requirement when moving a lead to "Interested" is that a Contact must exist for this lead.

Why This Matters

A Deal cannot exist without a Contact. The system enforces this business rule to ensure:

Complete customer records
Proper deal tracking and reporting
Accurate sales pipeline data
Communication history is maintained
Legal and compliance requirements are met

The Contact Check Process

When you select "Interested" status, the system automatically:

Searches for an existing contact by matching the lead's email address with contact records
Displays one of two messages:

If Contact Exists

✅ Message: "Lead Contact Found" (displayed in green)
✅ Icon: Green checkmark
✅ Action: You can proceed to save

If Contact Does Not Exist

❌ Message: "Lead Contact Not Found!" (displayed in red)
❌ Icon: Red info icon
❌ Action: You must create a contact first
🔵 Button appears: "Create Contact"

Submit/Save Button Behavior

The Submit or Save button will be disabled (grayed out and unclickable) when:

Status is set to "Interested" AND
No contact exists for this lead

You must create the contact before you can proceed.

Creating the Contact

Click the "Create Contact" button
The contact creation form opens with pre-populated information:
- First Name (from lead)
- Last Name (from lead)
- Email (from lead)
- Phone Number (from lead)
Complete any additional required fields
Submit the contact form
Return to the lead and complete the status change to "Interested"

Don't Worry: The system makes this easy by pre-filling all the lead information into the contact form. You just need to add any additional details and save.

Adding a New Lead Manually

Use this feature to add leads that come from sources other than your web forms.

Steps

Click the "Add Lead" button (top right of the Leads page)
Fill in the contact information:
- First Name (optional)
- Last Name (optional)
- Email Address (required)
- Phone Number (required)
Click Submit

What Happens Next

The new lead appears in your leads table with a "New" status
Lead Source is automatically set to "Manual Entry" (ID: 8)
The lead is assigned to you (the user who created it)
You can now assign it to another agent if needed
Begin the qualification process

Best Practices for Manual Entry

Enter as much information as you have
Add leads promptly while information is fresh
Assign to the appropriate specialist immediately
Add notes in the deal once the lead reaches "Interested"

Viewing and Editing Leads

For Form Capture Leads (Booking, Contact, Package Enquiries)

These leads came from your website forms and contain detailed submission information.

Steps

Click the edit icon (pen) next to the lead in the table
A detailed modal opens showing:
- All form details submitted by the customer
- Current status and stage
- Assigned agent
- Last update information (who and when)
- Form-specific details (see "Understanding Form Capture Details" below)

Available Actions

Change assigned agent
Update lead status (if in movable stage)
Create contact (if moving to "Interested")
Save changes

For Manual Leads

Manual leads have simpler data since they weren't created from forms.

Steps

Click the edit icon next to the lead
Update fields as needed:
- Contact details (name, email, phone)
- Assigned agent
- Status (if in movable stage)
Click Submit to save

Creating a Contact from a Lead

When you need to create a contact (typically before moving to "Interested"), follow this process.

Accessing the Contact Form

Click "Create Contact" button when moving status to "Interested"
OR navigate to Contacts and add manually (form will not be pre-populated)

Recommended: Use the "Create Contact" button from the lead for automatic pre-population of data.

Basic Information (Required)

1. Contact Type

Choose the appropriate type:

Individual - For personal customers
Company - For business customers
- If "Company" is selected, you must select the associated company from the dropdown

2. Personal Details

All fields are required:

Title: Select from dropdown (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Prof., etc.)
First Name: Full first name
Last Name: Full last name
Email: Must be valid email format (this is how the contact links to the lead)
Phone Number: Contact number with country code if international

3. Gender

Select from dropdown:

Male
Female
Other

4. Birthday

Important: Birthday information is used for automated birthday messages and customer relationship management.

Enter Month (MM format, 01-12)
Enter Day (DD format, 01-31)
System validates the date automatically
Check "Allow Feb 29" if the customer was born on leap day (February 29)
Confirm accuracy - Incorrect birthdays will result in messages sent on wrong dates

Optional Information

While not required, this information helps with customer relationship management:

Address Search

Type to search for addresses
Toggle "Enable Global Search" for international addresses
Select from suggestions
System automatically captures GPS coordinates for mapping

Additional Contact Fields

Work Phone Number - Business contact number
ID Number - National ID or identification number
Passport Number - For international travel customers
Job Title - Customer's position
Department - If applicable for corporate contacts
Cost Center - For corporate billing and reporting

Submitting the Contact

Review all information for accuracy
Verify email address matches the lead exactly
Click Submit
System creates the contact and links it to the lead
Success message appears
Return to the lead detail modal
Complete the status change to "Interested"

After Contact Creation

The lead status change to "Interested" will now work
The "Lead Contact Found" green message will appear
The Submit/Save button will become enabled
You can proceed with creating the deal

Assigning Leads to Agents

Proper lead assignment is crucial for accountability and follow-up.

Open any lead (click edit icon or form capture details)
Find "Assigned Agent" dropdown at the top of the modal
Select an agent from the list of available users
Click Save or Submit

From Form Capture Modals

The same assignment process works when viewing:

Booking Enquiry details
Contact Us Form details
Package Enquiry details

What Happens on Assignment

When you assign a lead to an agent:

The agent becomes responsible for following up
The agent sees the lead in their filtered views
For form capture leads, the form submission is also assigned to that agent
An audit trail records the assignment
The lead shows the assigned agent's name in the table

Assignment Best Practices

Assign Quickly - Assign leads within 1 hour of receipt for best conversion rates
Match Expertise - Assign based on agent specialization (e.g., luxury travel, adventure, corporate)
Balance Workload - Distribute leads evenly among team members
Reassign When Needed - Don't hesitate to reassign if the first agent is unavailable

Form Capture Assignment

When you assign an agent to a lead that came from a form (Booking, Contact Us, or Package Enquiry), the system also:

Updates the form capture record with the assigned user
Links the form submission to the agent for complete tracking
Maintains an audit trail of who handled the inquiry from start to finish

This ensures complete traceability from initial inquiry through conversion.

Searching and Filtering

Keyword Search

Use the search box at the top of the leads table to find leads by:

First name or last name
Email address
Phone number
Lead source/form type
Company name (if applicable)

Tips:

Search is not case-sensitive
Partial matches are supported
Search updates results in real-time

Sorting

Click any column header to sort by that field:

ID - Lead identification number
Date Created - When the lead entered the system
Name - Alphabetically by first or last name
Email - Alphabetically
Status - Grouped by current status
Agent - Grouped by assigned agent

Click the same header again to reverse the sort order.

Filtering by Status

Use the status filter dropdown to show only leads in specific statuses:

New
Qualified
Unreached
Reached
Not Interested
Interested

Filtering by Agent

Filter to show:

Only your assigned leads
Leads assigned to specific team members
Unassigned leads

Downloading Lead Data

Export your lead data for external reporting, backup, or analysis.

Steps

Click the "Download" button at the top of the Leads page
System generates a CSV file containing all visible leads
File downloads to your computer

What's Included in the Export

The CSV file includes:

Lead ID
Created date and time
Contact information (name, email, phone)
Lead source
Current status
Status description
Stage
Assigned agent name
Last updated by
Last updated date and time

Uses for Exported Data

Create reports in Excel or Google Sheets
Import into other CRM systems
Backup lead information
Share with management for analysis
Create custom visualizations

Understanding Form Capture Details

When customers submit forms on your website, all their information is captured and displayed when you view the lead.

Booking Enquiry Details

When viewing a booking enquiry lead, the modal displays comprehensive travel requirements:

Travel Information

Departure Airport - Where customer wants to fly from (with airport name)
Destination Airport - Where customer wants to fly to (with airport name)
Departure Date - Travel start date
Return Date - Travel end date
Number of Travelers:
- Adults count
- Children count
Trip Nature - Purpose of travel (leisure, business, honeymoon, etc.)
Cabin Preference - Flight class (economy, business, first class)

Accommodation Preferences

Star Rating - Preferred hotel rating (1-5 stars, displayed as visual stars)
Meal Preferences:
- Breakfast included? (checkmark or X)
- Dinner included? (checkmark or X)
Accommodation Type - Customer preferences:
- B&B (Bed & Breakfast)
- Hotel
- Resort
- Self-Catering

Additional Services

Budget - Customer's budget range
Car Hire Requirements:
- If required, shows car hire details
- Preferred vehicle (if specified)
- OR Category and vehicle name

Contact Information

Title, first name, last name
Email address
Phone number
Company name (if provided)

Contact Us Enquiry Details

General inquiries are simpler and show:

Customer Information

Name (first and last)
Email address
Phone number

Inquiry Details

Subject Line - Topic of inquiry
Message Content - Full customer message

Package Enquiry Details

When customers inquire about specific packages:

Customer Information

Title, first name, last name
Email address
Phone number

Package Information

Package Reference Code - Unique identifier
Package ID - System ID (clickable link)
Package Title - Name of the package (clickable to view full package details)
Travel Dates:
- Departure date
- Return date
Customer Message - Any additional questions or requirements

Tip: Click the Package ID to view the full package details on your website.

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: New Booking Enquiry (Full Process)

This is the complete journey from initial inquiry to won deal:

Lead Appears - New booking enquiry arrives with "New" status
Review Requirements - Click edit icon to view all travel details
Assign Specialist - Assign to the most appropriate agent based on destination/type
Qualify Lead - Review budget and requirements
- Move to "Qualified" if meets criteria
- Move to "Unqualified" if doesn't meet criteria
Begin Contact - Move to "Unreached" to start contact attempts
Contact Attempts - Try to reach customer
- If unsuccessful: Move to "Retry Contact"
- Keep trying: Move to "Not Reached" if all attempts fail
- If successful: Move to "Reached"
Initial Conversation - Discuss requirements with customer
Assess Interest - Determine customer's interest level
- Not interested: Move to "Not Interested" (dead end)
- Needs time: Move to "Follow-up Required"
- Interested: Proceed to next step
Create Contact - Before moving to "Interested", ensure contact exists
Move to Interested - Creates deal automatically, moves to "Preparing Quotation"
Switch to Deals Page - All further updates happen in Deals module
Prepare Quote - Create and send quotation
Follow Quote Process - Quote Sent → Quote Accepted → Payment → Won! 🏆

Timeline: Aim to complete steps 1-10 within 24-48 hours for best conversion.

Workflow 2: Manual Lead Entry

For leads from non-form sources:

Add Lead - Click "Add Lead" button
Enter Details - Fill in name, email, phone number
Submit - Lead appears with "New" status
Assign - Assign to yourself or appropriate team member
Qualify - Assess if lead meets criteria
- Move to "Qualified" or "Unqualified"
Begin Contact - Move to "Unreached" and start outreach
Update Based on Response - Follow the same progression as booking enquiries
Create Contact - When qualified and interested
Move to Interested - Create deal when appropriate

Best Practice: Add manual leads immediately while information is fresh. Don't wait hours or days.

Workflow 3: Follow-up Scenario

When a customer needs time to decide:

Initial Contact Made - Lead is at "Reached" status
Customer Needs Time - They want to think about it or consult with others
Schedule Follow-up - Move to "Follow-up Required"
Set Reminder - Note the callback date in your calendar (not automated)
Update Status - Move to "Follow-up Scheduled"
Perform Follow-up - Call or email at scheduled time
Assess Response - After follow-up contact:
- Customer ready: Move to "Interested" → Create deal
- Customer declines: Move to "Not Interested"
- Customer needs more time: Move back to "Follow-up Required" and repeat

Pro Tip: Don't leave leads in "Reached" status for extended periods. Always move to follow-up or interested/not interested.

Workflow 4: Package Enquiry Lead

Special considerations for package inquiries:

Lead Arrives - Package enquiry with "New" status
Review Package - Click edit to see which package interested them
Check Package Details - Click the Package ID link to view full package
Verify Availability - Confirm the package is still available for their dates
Assign Agent - Assign to package specialist
Qualify - Move to "Qualified" if package matches their needs
Contact Customer - Move to "Unreached" and reach out
Discuss Package - Explain details, answer questions
Create Contact & Deal - If interested, create contact and move to "Interested"
Prepare Quote - May need to adjust package pricing in the deal