From incoming enquiry to a considered response
Record where the lead came from, what they need and how they prefer to be contacted. Assign an owner who can qualify the request and agree a follow-up date. Use a small set of meaningful statuses, such as new, contacted and qualified, rather than stages that different people interpret differently. A lead that is not ready to buy can remain a useful relationship without being forced into an active sales opportunity. Source information helps explain which channels bring relevant enquiries.
Set qualification rules people can explain
The right questions depend on your service: scope, timing, decision process and existing systems may matter more than company size. Keep scoring and assignment rules understandable, and allow a person to correct an unsuitable allocation. Define how duplicates, unanswered enquiries and staff absence are handled. Before connecting a website form or another lead source, agree what information can be collected and who is responsible when an import or notification fails.