Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Unleashed

Leads

Leads are not customers but rather potential customers. This is an important distinction because it provides a needed level of separation when working with your customer base. As explained later in this chapter, Leads are converted to customers when they become qualified. If they are disqualified, they remain as an inactive Lead.

Using Leads properly can provide rich insight into your organization on several levels. Because Leads are not yet qualified (they are potential customers who haven’t yet met internal criteria to be converted to customers), they should be considered the customer entry point into the CRM system. Although it is certainly possible that you will be adding Accounts and Contacts directly into Microsoft Dynamics CRM, ...