Managing leads can feel overwhelming, especially with separate contacts and stages to track. HubSpot's new lead management tools simplify this by integrating leads with your existing contacts. 

You can now track a prospect's journey from initial interest to sales-ready lead through clear, customizable stages. Interactions like emails and meetings automatically update lead stages, eliminating manual busywork. 

This feature frees your sales team to focus on what matters most—closing deals through meaningful conversations. In this blog, learn how to use HubSpot's new feature to improve your sales process.

Lead Transformation: Contacts to Leads

HubSpot’s beta feature streamlines your sales process by allowing you to convert valuable contacts into dedicated "lead objects." This might sound like a technical detail, but it has a big benefit: increased efficiency for your sales team.

When a contact becomes a lead, they've shown initial interest and are more likely to be a good fit for your product or service. Your team can then focus on nurturing these leads instead of managing a broader list of uncategorized contacts.

You can do this either manually or automatically:

Automate Lead Creation: Catch Potential Customers Quickly

HubSpot can automatically turn contacts into leads based on their lifecycle stage. You can customize the specific stages in HubSpot. Anyone who reaches a stage you set as "Lead" will automatically become a lead and appear in your lead list. 

This feature helps you catch potential customers quickly and avoid missing anyone who might be a good fit.

Here's how to automatically create leads in HubSpot’s CRM:

1. Go to settings > "Objects" > "Leads."
2. Click the "Pipeline" tab, then navigate to the "Automate" tab.
3. Toggle the "Create a new lead" switch to "On."
4. Click the "Edit" icon next to "Select lifecycle stages." Choose the stage that triggers lead creation (e.g., "Lead").
5. Click "Save" to activate automatic lead creation.
   
   

When a contact reaches the chosen lifecycle stage, a new lead will be automatically created in HubSpot!

Manual Lead Creation: More Control Over Who Becomes a Lead

Do you want more control over who becomes a lead? You can manually create leads from your existing contacts. 

This option is handy if you want to make specific contact with a lead, even if they're not yet at the "Lead" stage in your lifecycle.

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Go to "Sales" > "Prospecting" and select the "Leads" tab.
2. Click the "+ Add lead" button in the upper right corner.
3. Choose Contact or Company. Decide if you want to create a lead based on an existing contact or company record. Select "Contact" or "Company" accordingly.
4. Select the Record. Choose the specific contact or company from the dropdown menu.
5. Enter Lead Name. Give your lead a clearly identifiable name in the "Lead Name" field.
6. Customize (Optional). The dropdown menus allow you to set the lead stage, type, and label.
7. Click "Create Lead" to finalize the process.
   
   

Assigning Leads to Specific Stages for Targeted Interaction

Once you have leads, whether they're automatic or manual, you can assign them to specific stages. These stages represent the different steps and interactions in your sales cycle. Think of them as checkpoints for your leads.

For example, you might have stages like "New" or "Reaching Out" for newly created leads who need an introductory email. 

When you assign leads to the right stages, your sales team can prioritize their work. They can focus on the most promising leads and tailor their approach based on the lead's current interest and engagement. 

Let’s walk through the process:

1. Go to Settings > "Objects" > "Leads."
2. Click the "Pipeline" tab to manage your lead stages.
3. Rename a stage by clicking on its existing name. Edit the text, and it will automatically update.
4. Click the "+" symbol next to "Add stage" to create a new stage in your pipeline. Name your new stage accordingly.
5. To delete a stage, hover over its name and click the "Delete" icon next to it. This can’t be undone.
6. Don't forget to click "Save" at the bottom of the page to finalize your edits to the lead pipeline.
   
   

Lead Interaction and Status Changes

As you start engaging with new leads, their status will automatically evolve based on your interactions and touchpoints. This keeps your pipeline up-to-date and shows you where each prospect stands.

Automatic Status Changes Through Interactions

Simply by sending an email, making a call, or logging a meeting for a lead, their status will automatically adjust within HubSpot.

For example, if you email a "New" lead, their status will change to "Attempting" to reflect that you've initiated contact.

If that lead engages back through a reply or attending a scheduled meeting, their status will further progress to "Connected." This seamless movement saves you the hassle of manually updating each lead's status whenever you connect.

Dynamic Lead Stage Transitions via Engagement

The automation doesn't stop there! As you continue nurturing leads through additional touchpoints, their stage will dynamically transition to reflect their sales readiness.

Once qualified through deeper conversations or engagement signals like pricing guide downloads, their stage will automatically update to "Qualified." This cues your team that it's time to start progressing this hot lead toward closing a deal.

Conversely, if a lead goes cold or is identified as unfit, you can mark them as "Disqualified," prompting HubSpot to capture the reason and remove them from your active pipeline.

This intelligent, system-driven updating ensures your leads are always accurately staged based on their latest interactions with your company. No more manually changing statuses—just focus on the conversations and let HubSpot handle the rest!

Deal Creation and Disqualification Workflow

As leads progress through your sales cycle, HubSpot's lead management tools streamline the next steps. For example, they could create deals for qualified prospects or properly disqualify those who aren't a fit. Let's explore these key workflow processes.

Creating Deals for Qualified Leads

You can generate a deal record automatically once a lead reaches the "Qualified" stage through your defined engagement criteria. This simple yet powerful workflow transition eliminates the need for manual data entry.

With just a few clicks, that qualified lead seamlessly becomes a deal your sales team can start working towards closing. No more chances of dropping the ball on hot opportunities!

Here's how to set up automatic deal creation for qualified leads:

1. Go to Settings > "Objects" > "Leads."
2. Click the "Pipeline" tab to manage your lead stages.
3. Locate the "Qualified" stage (or whichever stage signifies a qualified lead). Hover over the stage and click "Edit properties."
4. In the pop-up window, find the "Require a deal to be created" toggle and switch it to "On." This ensures a deal is automatically created whenever a lead is qualified.
   
   

5. While in the "Edit properties" pop-up, you can also define specific properties that must be completed before the deal is created (in the "Selected Properties" section). This helps ensure you have essential information for each new deal.

6. Click "Save" at the bottom of the page to finalize your settings.

Capturing Disqualification Reasons for Unqualified Leads

Not every lead will be an ideal fit, and that's okay! HubSpot allows you to clearly mark these as "Disqualified" while capturing the specific reason why. This declutters your active pipeline while opening the door for effective upsell or renewal cycles.

Logging disqualification reasons like "budget constraints" or "poor timing" gives you invaluable context. This insight sharpens your lead qualification criteria while indicating which disqualified leads may be worth revisiting later.

Your sales team can analyze these documented reasons to identify patterns, adjust their approach, and focus on the best leads. It's like learning from past experiences to make your pipeline even stronger!

Here's how to customize the information captured when disqualifying leads in HubSpot:

1. Go to Settings > "Objects" > "Leads."
2. Click the "Pipeline" tab to manage your lead stages.
3. Hover over the "Disqualified" stage and click "Edit properties."
4. In the pop-up window, the "Lead Information" section lets you select which properties are displayed when disqualifying a lead. This could be helpful information for your team, like company size or budget. Check the boxes next to the desired properties.

5. In the same pop-up window, the "Selected Properties" section allows you to choose specific reasons users must select when disqualifying a lead. This ensures you capture valuable insights into why leads aren't a good fit. Check the boxes next to the reasons you want to track.
6. Click "Save" at the bottom of the page to finalize your settings.

Follow-up and Task Management

Following up with leads consistently shows genuine interest and keeps your prospects moving through the sales cycle. HubSpot's lead management tools can turn your follow-up game into a well-oiled machine. Here’s how:

Efficient Task Management with "Follow-up with Lead" Section

HubSpot streamlines follow-up with a dedicated "Follow-up" section. This central hub displays a prioritized list of leads needing attention.

From here, you can seamlessly schedule tasks, set reminders, and track your progress toward connecting with each lead. Rather than scattered to-do lists and disjointed processes, this unified interface keeps your entire team aligned and accountable.

Experience More Efficient Lead Management with HubSpot

Managing leads can feel overwhelming, especially with scattered information and constant follow-up tasks.

With HubSpot's powerful lead management capabilities, you'll have a comprehensive toolset to streamline your sales processes and drive revenue like never before.

From automating tedious tasks to gaining real-time visibility into your pipeline, HubSpot's innovative features empower your team to focus on what matters most—building meaningful connections with prospects and closing more deals.

Partner with Origin 63 for Seamless HubSpot Implementation

Is your sales process stuck in a rut? Partner with Origin 63, a team of certified HubSpot experts, and experience a seamless transition to HubSpot's cutting-edge lead management tools.

Our knowledgeable professionals will guide you every step, ensuring you harness the full power of HubSpot's features and maximize your sales efficiency. 

From customizing lead stages to automating follow-ups, we'll help you craft a tailored solution that aligns perfectly with your unique business needs.

Contact us to learn more.