---
title: "How to Manage Leads"
description: "This article explains the lifecycle of Leads and how to manage them."
url: https://help.clearcrm.com/en/articles/11419698-how-to-manage-leads
collection: "Leads"
updated: 2026-03-30
language: en
---

# How to Manage Leads

This article explains the lifecycle of Leads and how to manage them.

## Managing Leads in Kanban Board

The **Leads** in ClearCRM helps you visually track the progress of each lead from first contact to conversion. Whether you’re qualifying a new prospect or closing a deal, each stage is designed to support a smooth and flexible lead management process.

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## What Are the Statuses?

The Kanban board displays leads across customizable stages:

<table style="min-width: 50px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Stage</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Description</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>New</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Freshly added or imported leads awaiting contact.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Contacted</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>You've reached out — by email, call, or meeting.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Qualified</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Leads that show strong interest or meet your criteria.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Proposal Made</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>You’ve sent a proposal or offer to the lead.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Appointment Scheduled</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>A meeting or demo is on the calendar.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Lost</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Leads that didn't convert. Add a reason for better tracking.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Customers</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Successful conversions! You can now create a customer profile.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

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## Adding New Leads

Click the **\+ New Lead** button at the top of the page to manually create a new lead. You’ll be able to enter:

-   Name
    
-   Company
    
-   Description
    
-   Status (automatically set to "New")
    

You can also import multiple leads using the **Import Leads** option.

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## Updating Lead Status

To update a lead’s status, simply **drag and drop** the lead card into the next appropriate stage. This helps your team see exactly where each lead stands.

Examples:

-   Move a new web form submission to **Contacted** after your first email.
    
-   Once qualified, drag the lead to **Proposal Made** or **Appointment Scheduled**.
    
-   If they accept your offer, drag them to **Converted** to trigger customer creation.
    

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## Best Practices

-   Use the **Lost** column to track dropped leads and improve outreach over time.
    
-   Be consistent when advancing leads to keep your pipeline accurate.
    
-   Add notes, tags, or monetary values directly in the lead card for better reporting.
    

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## What Happens When You Convert a Lead?

When you convert a Lead into a Customer, you’ll be prompted to create a customer record from it. This starts their official journey in your CRM.

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## Flexible, Visual Lead Management

Whether you’re a solo closer or part of a sales team, the Kanban layout gives you real-time visibility into every stage of the lead journey — no spreadsheet needed!