Stage New — research before you dial
Open the lead, skim website + reviews, note one specific hook (bad mobile site, strong reviews but no ads, missing booking CTA). Save the hook in notes. Then call or email with that hook — never a generic “we do marketing” blast.
Stage Contacted — earn the next step
After the first touch, the job is a reply or a booked call — not a 2,000-word pitch. Use Day 2/3 sequence only if you set templates and the lead has not replied. When they reply, stop the sequence and answer in Email inbox.
Stage Qualified — protect the meeting
Move here only when there is a clear next step (demo booked, proposal requested, decision-maker confirmed). Put date/time and offer in notes. If the meeting dies, either re-contact with a new angle or Close with a reason.
Stage Closed — win and loss both count
Closed is not only “won.” Log losses (“budget”, “in-house”, “not ICP”). That history stops teammates from re-pitching the same dead end next month.
Keep CRM webhooks as a mirror, not the source of truth
If you push events to Slack/GHL, still update Pipeline in Contractor Leads. External tools can lag or fail; your in-app stage is what the team should trust.
Start free trial →