Converting Leads

Converting Leads

Convert Leads to Other Sales Records

When there is a chance of further negotiations with a lead, it can be converted into an account, contact, and potential. In short, once the lead status has reached a certain stage, it can be qualified as a potential. On conversion, all the lead details are transferred in creating an account, contact, and potential. You can map the lead fields with those of the account, contact and potential so that the details are transferred to the appropriate fields. See Also Map Custom Fields 

Availability

Profile Permission Required: Users with the Convert Leads permission in profile can access this feature.

While converting a lead to a potential first a new account and contact are created with the relevant lead data, and then a new potential is created. The following table provides description of the various fields converted to an account, contact, and potential during lead conversion. In case of custom fields, you can map them too. See AlsoMap Custom Fields

Lead FieldConverted To
SalutationContact: Salutation
First NameContact Name
Last NameContact Name
CompanyAccount: Name
DesignationContact: Title
Lead SourcePotential: Lead Source
Contact: Lead Source
IndustryAccount: Industry
Annual RevenueAccount: Annual Revenue
Assigned ToAccount, Contact, Potential: Assigned To
PhoneAccount: Phone
Contact: Phone
MobileContact: Mobile
FaxAccount: Fax
Contact: Fax
EmailContact: Email
Skype IDContact: Skype ID
Web siteAccount: Web site
Lead StatusUser should specify the Potential Stage while converting the lead.
RatingPotential: Rating
No of EmployeesAccount: No. of Employees
Email Opt OutContact: Email Opt Out
StreetAccount: Street
Contact: Street
CityAccount: City
Contact: City
StateAccount: State
Contact: State
Postal CodeAccount: Postal Code
Contact: Postal Code
CountryAccount: Country
Contact: Country
Custom FieldsUsers can map their own custom field.

To convert leads to other sales records

  1. Click the Leads tab.
  2. In the Leads Home page, select the lead to be converted.
  3. In the Lead Details page, click Convert. 
  4. In the Lead Conversion page, choose the appropriate account/contact option.
    The options to create an account/contact or add to the existing account/contact will be available based on different use cases. (Refer to the table)
  5. Select Create a new Potential for this Account/Contact checkbox if you want to create a potential on lead conversion.
    All the mandatory fields for the Potentials module will be listed.
    • Specify the Potential Name. 
      By default, the Company Name will be populated as the potential name.
    • Specify the Potential Closing Date or select the date from the calendar displayed.
    • Select the Potential Stage from the drop-down list.
    • Select the Contact Role from the drop-down list.
    • Enter the Amount.
    • Choose the Campaign Source from the lookup.
      Note that only the campaigns associated to the lead will be listed. You can associate one campaign which qualified the lead. This details for this campaign source will be available in the potential.
    • Select the Owner of the record.
      This option will be available only if a new record is created.
  6. Click Convert.
    Scenarios - Convert Leads

  • Here is an example that will help you understand the different scenarios. Let us take for example a lead with the following details:

    • Lead Name - Charles Stone
    • Company Name - Zillum Inc.
    • Email Address - charles.s@zillum.com
    Various scenariosIf Account/Contact already exists in CRMIf Account/Contact does not exists in CRM

    Lead Name: Available

    Company: Available

    Email Address: Available

    Use Case 1
    If the email address matches with an existing contact then:

    1. Add to existing contact
    2. Create a new contact
      • On selecting this option an account will also be created.


    Use Case 2:

    If there is no contact with the matching email address, the system will search for accounts with a matching company name. If the company name matches an existing account, then:

    1. Add to existing account
    2. Create a new account
      • On selecting this option a contact will also be created.

    Use Case 3:

    If Case 2 is not satisfied and there is no account with the matching company name, the system will search for contacts with a matching lead name. If the lead name matches an existing contact, then:

    1. Add to existing contact
    2. Create a new contact
      • On selecting this option an account will also be created.

    A new account and a new contact will be created.

    Lead Name: Available

    Company: Not Available

    Email Address: Not Available

    Options:

    1. Add to existing contact
      The existing details in the contact will not be changed/overwritten.
    2. Create a new contact

    A new contact will be created

    Lead Name: Available

    Company: Available

    Email Address: Not Available

    Options:

    1. Add to existing account
      • If the lead name matches with an existing contact in CRM, then you will have the option to add to the existing contact or create one.
      • If the lead name does not match with any existing contact in CRM, then a contact will be created and associated to the account.
    2. Create a new account
      • A contact will be created and associated to the account.

    A new account and a new contact will be created. The contact will be associated to the account.

    Lead Name: Available

    Company: Not Available

    Email Address: Available

    Options:

    1. Add to existing contact
      • If the email address matches with an existing contact in CRM, then you will have the option to add it to that existing contact.
      • If there is no contact with the matching email address, the system will search for contacts with a matching lead name. If it matches with any existing contact in CRM, then you will have the option to add it to that existing contact.
    2. Create a new contact
      • A contact will be created and associated to the account.

    A new contact will be created

    Map Custom Fields

    When a lead is converted into an account, contact and potential, field values of a lead are transferred to the mapped account, contact, and potential fields. Only when the fields are accurately mapped with those of the corresponding modules, will data be transferred properly.

    By default, the standard fields are mapped with the corresponding fields of the other modules (Accounts, Contacts, and Potentials). With the lead conversion mapping tool, you can easily map other fields that you create. Please note that you need to map a field with a similar type of field only. For example, a Text field should be mapped only with a Text field, a Picklist field with a similar type of Picklist field.

    To map lead fields with other modules

    1. Click Setup > Customization > Fields > Leads > Map Fields.
    2. In the Map Fields for Leads Conversion page, the fields are listed under Lead Fields column. 
    3. Map the lead fields to the corresponding fields of Accounts, Contacts and Potentials.
    4. Click Save.

    Close Leads Without Converting

    Based on your business requirements, you may want to close the leads instead of converting them. In such a case, you can do the following:

    1. Add a custom value (Closed) for the Lead Status field.
    2. Change the Lead Status to Closed.
    3. Create a List View to filter all the leads that are closed.

    By default, some industry standard pick list values are available in the Lead Status field. You can modify the pick list values as per your organization's business process and replace the existing value with new value.

    To add a pick list value

    1. Log in to CRM with Administrator privileges.
    2. Click Setup > Customization > Field.
    3. Select Leads module from the drop-down list and click the Edit link for the Lead Status pick list field.
    4. In the Edit Pick List page, click Add New Values.
    5. In the Add New Value box, specify Closed.
    6. Click Add.
    7. Click Save.

    Convert Leads in Bulk

    Mass conversion of leads is also possible in the Leads module by selecting multiple records from the list view to convert. You can also use the Mass Convert [Records] option under Lead Tools to filter records based on criteria and then convert them in bulk.

    To convert leads in bulk

    1. Click the Leads tab.
    2. From the list of leads, select the ones that you want to convert.
    3. Click More Actions > Mass Convert.
    4. In the Mass Convert  pop-up, do the following:
      • Select the Potential checkbox, if you want to create a potential record on lead conversion.
        The potential fields will be listed. The mandatory fields will be pre-populated based on Conversion Mapping.
      • Fill in the fields for potentials. You can either specify a value or use merge fields to add a variable for the potential fields.
      • Click the Change link to select one owner for the contacts, accounts or potentials that the leads are being converted to. By default, all the converted contacts, accounts and potentials will be assigned to the users who own the respective leads.
    5. Click Convert.

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