Lead
Overview
Lead — Business Overview
What the Lead document is used for
The Lead document is used to capture and manage potential customers or sales opportunities at the earliest stage of the sales process. It represents individuals or organizations that have shown interest in your products or services but have not yet been qualified as customers.
In day-to-day business operations, Lead acts as the starting point for sales engagement, helping sales and marketing teams track inquiries, follow up consistently, and convert interest into real business.
Prerequisites and setup before using Lead
Before using Lead effectively, businesses should ensure:
- Sales and marketing teams are defined, with clear ownership for handling incoming leads
- Lead sources are identified, such as website inquiries, referrals, campaigns, phone calls, or events
- Basic customer classification rules are agreed upon (for example, when a Lead is considered ready to become a customer)
- Follow-up responsibilities and timelines are clearly defined
This preparation ensures Leads are handled consistently and do not get overlooked.
Typical workflow and how it fits into business processes
The Lead document fits naturally into the sales pipeline and supports early-stage customer engagement:
Lead creation
A Lead is created when someone shows interest—through an inquiry, marketing campaign, referral, or direct contact.Information gathering
Sales teams record key details such as contact information, company details, interest area, and source of the Lead.Qualification
The Lead is reviewed to determine seriousness, budget, decision-making authority, and timing.Follow-up and engagement
Calls, emails, or meetings are scheduled to nurture the Lead and understand customer needs.Conversion
Once qualified, the Lead is converted into a customer or sales opportunity, allowing the sales process to move forward.
This structured flow ensures no opportunity is missed and sales efforts are focused on high-potential prospects.
Key business scenarios where Lead is essential
Lead plays a critical role in several business situations:
- Managing inbound inquiries from websites, emails, or social media
- Tracking marketing campaign results by linking Leads to their source
- Handling referrals and partnerships, ensuring proper follow-up
- Organizing sales outreach for new markets or products
- Reducing lost opportunities by providing visibility into early-stage prospects
Without Lead, businesses often struggle with scattered information and inconsistent follow-ups.
Important considerations for users
To get maximum value from the Lead document:
- Always record complete and accurate information to avoid poor follow-ups
- Assign ownership clearly, so every Lead has someone responsible
- Follow up promptly, as response time strongly affects conversion rates
- Regularly review and clean up Leads, closing or converting inactive ones
- Use Lead status updates to track progress and prioritize efforts
When used consistently, Lead becomes a powerful tool for building a strong sales pipeline and driving predictable business growth.
Basic Information
- Module: CRM
- Document Type: Document
Fields
| Field Name | Label | Type | Required | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| naming_series | Series | Select | CRM-LEAD-.YYYY.- | Auto-generated Dafater lead numbering pattern for consistent identification | |
| salutation | Salutation | Link | Salutation | Formal greeting used for addressing the lead professionally | |
| first_name | First Name | Data | - | Lead's given name for personal identification | |
| middle_name | Middle Name | Data | - | Additional personal name of the lead, if applicable | |
| last_name | Last Name | Data | - | Lead's family name for official records | |
| lead_name | Full Name | Data | - | Complete name displayed for the lead in Dafater | |
| job_title | Job Title | Data | - | Professional designation of the lead within their organization | |
| gender | Gender | Link | Gender | Gender information for demographic and communication purposes | |
| source | Source | Link | Lead Source | Origin channel through which the lead was acquired | |
| lead_owner | Lead Owner | Link | User | Dafater user responsible for managing this lead | |
| status | Status | Select | ✓ | Lead, Open, Replied, Opportunity, Quotation, Lo... | Current progress stage of the lead in sales cycle |
| customer | From Customer | Link | Customer | Existing customer linked to this lead, if applicable | |
| type | Lead Type | Select | , Client, Channel Partner, Consultant | Business relationship category of the lead | |
| request_type | Request Type | Select | , Product Enquiry, Request for Information, Sug... | Nature of enquiry or request raised by the lead | |
| email_id | Data | Primary email address for lead communication | |||
| website | Website | Data | - | Company or personal website of the lead | |
| mobile_no | Mobile No | Data | Phone | Primary mobile contact number of the lead | |
| whatsapp_no | Data | Phone | WhatsApp number for instant communication | ||
| phone | Phone | Data | Phone | Landline or alternate phone number of the lead | |
| phone_ext | Phone Ext. | Data | - | Extension number associated with the phone | |
| company_name | Organization Name | Data | - | Organization name the lead represents | |
| noofemployees | No of Employees | Select | 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 201-500, 501-1000, 1000+ | Approximate workforce size of the lead's organization | |
| annual_revenue | Annual Revenue | Currency | - | Estimated yearly revenue of the lead's organization | |
| industry | Industry | Link | Industry Type | Industry classification of the lead's business | |
| market_segment | Market Segment | Link | Market Segment | Target market segment the lead belongs to | |
| territory | Territory | Link | Territory | Geographical sales territory assigned to the lead | |
| fax | Fax | Data | - | Fax number provided by the lead | |
| address_html | Address HTML | HTML | - | Formatted address details displayed in Dafater | |
| city | City | Data | - | City where the lead or organization is located | |
| state | State/Province | Data | - | State or province of the lead's address | |
| country | Country | Link | Country | Country of the lead's business location | |
| contact_html | Contact HTML | HTML | - | Rendered contact summary for quick reference | |
| qualification_status | Qualification Status | Select | Unqualified, In Process, Qualified | Sales qualification stage of the lead | |
| qualified_by | Qualified By | Link | User | Dafater user who qualified the lead | |
| qualified_on | Qualified on | Date | - | Date when the lead was marked as qualified | |
| campaign_name | Campaign Name | Link | Campaign | Marketing campaign associated with the lead | |
| company | Company | Link | Company | Internal Dafater company managing this lead | |
| language | Print Language | Link | Language | Preferred language for printed communications | |
| image | Image | Attach Image | - | Profile image representing the lead or contact | |
| title | Title | Data | - | Short descriptive title for the lead record | |
| disabled | Disabled | Check | - | Indicates whether the lead is inactive | |
| unsubscribed | Unsubscribed | Check | - | Marks if the lead opted out of communications | |
| blog_subscriber | Blog Subscriber | Check | - | Indicates if the lead subscribes to blogs | |
| openactivitieshtml | Open Activities HTML | HTML | - | Display of pending activities linked to the lead | |
| allactivitieshtml | All Activities HTML | HTML | - | Display of complete activity history for the lead | |
| notes_html | Notes HTML | HTML | - | Formatted view of notes added to the lead | |
| notes | Notes | Table | CRM Note | Structured notes and interactions related to the lead |
Child Tables
Notes (CRM Note)
| Field Name | Label | Type | Required | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| note | Note | Text Editor | - | Business related note content recorded for customer relationship tracking | |
| added_by | Added By | Link | User | Dafater user who created the CRM note | |
| added_on | Added On | Datetime | - | Date and time when the CRM note was added |
Permissions
| Role | Read | Write | Create | Delete | Submit | Cancel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Manager | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Sales User | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Sales Manager | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Related DocTypes
| DocType | Relationship | Module |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Linked from | Selling |
| Issue | Linked from | Support |
| Campaign | Links to | CRM |
| Company | Links to | Setup |
| Country | Links to | Geo |
| Customer | Links to | Selling |
| Gender | Links to | Contacts |
| Industry Type | Links to | Selling |
| Language | Links to | Core |
| Lead Source | Links to | CRM |
| Market Segment | Links to | CRM |
| Salutation | Links to | Contacts |
| Territory | Links to | Setup |
| User | Links to | Core |