Resources · 92
CRM leads: qualify with criteria and evidence
Connect acquisition, contact quality and handover to sales.
· 3 min
What this guide helps achieve
- Agree stages with sales
- Preserve provenance
- Review duplicates
- Design handover
- Measure the full journey
Quick check
- Is a download a qualified lead?
- Can matching emails always be merged?
- Why separate stage and preferences?
Step-by-step method
- 01
Agree stages with sales
Write entry and exit conditions for enquiry, usable contact, confirmed need, opportunity and sale. HubSpot distinguishes MQL and SQL; adapt labels to the actual process. A download does not establish purchase intent.
Output: Agreed stage definitions.
- 02
Preserve provenance
Retain form, date, campaign and version of the offered message. A sales stage is not permission to send marketing. Handle preferences, objections and the basis for using contact details separately according to context.
Output: Separate provenance and preferences.
- 03
Review duplicates
Choose identifiers and matching rules. A shared address does not prove two records describe one person. Review conflicts and retain source records before merging.
Output: Matching rules and decisions.
- 04
Design handover
Assign an owner, qualification reason and next action. Allow explained rejection, correction and return to another stage. Prevent automation from silently overriding an explicit sales decision.
Output: Owner and next action.
- 05
Measure the full journey
Track entry cohorts, delays, rejection reasons and verified opportunities. Separate form events from distinct contacts. Compare campaigns using consistent definitions and windows, not lead volume alone.
Output: Cohort and rejection report.
Fictional acceptance-test scenarios
These proposed cases are not client observations. Adapt data, permissions and acceptance criteria to your authorised environment.
| Situation to exercise | Result to check | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| A contact submits the same form twice. | Reconcile according to CRM rules without automatically merging two organisations or deleting history. | Identifiers, matching rule and retained events. |
| A lead reaches a score without a confirmed need. | Separate score, lifecycle stage and qualification evidence; record the missing criterion. | Criteria, signal sources and classification reason. |
| A qualified lead opts out of email campaigns. | Retain authorised commercial context and apply the objection to affected sends. | Preference state, scope and suppression test. |
Reusable worksheet
Complete with your authorised observations. These fields are a working template, not observed results.
| Field | Information to record |
|---|---|
| Stage | Criteria, owner and next action |
| Origin | Collection, date and campaign |
| Quality | Duplicates, missing data and conflicts |
| Measurement | Cohort, delay and verified outcome |
Worked example
Illustrative situation
Fictional example: a downloadable guide receives two enquiries from one team, including a shared address.
Decision and expected evidence
Review preserves the interactions, distinguishes people and opens an opportunity only after confirming their need.
Distinguish the mechanisms
| Mechanism | Purpose | Check or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry | Received interaction | May be duplicate or irrelevant |
| Qualification | Confirmed criteria | Needs reason and owner |
| Opportunity | Tracked commercial project | Not yet a sale |
Management indicators
| Indicator | What it measures | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Explained rejections | Excluded contacts with reasons | Improve collection or targeting |
| Handover delay | Time until ownership | Investigate unassigned records |
| Verified opportunities | Confirmed commercial projects | Avoid inflated qualification |
Common pitfalls
- May be duplicate or irrelevant
- Needs reason and owner
- Not yet a sale
Frequently asked questions
Is a download a qualified lead?
Not automatically. It proves an interaction; qualification follows agreed criteria and verified information.
Can matching emails always be merged?
First review shared addresses, multiple people and CRM rules. Retain a matching trail.
Why separate stage and preferences?
A contact can progress commercially while declining particular communications. Both states must remain consistent.
Further reading and tools
Editorial resources to extend the method.
- Française du Numérique — website enquiries External link
Organise receipt and ownership of enquiries before CRM qualification.
Official references
References consulted: . The method and worksheet propose checks to adapt to your context; they do not constitute certification.
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