Lead statuses in HubSpot CRM allow you to track the progress of leads through your sales funnel and personalize communication for better conversion. This article provides a step-by-step guide on using and customizing lead statuses effectively.
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What are Lead Statuses?
Lead statuses categorize leads based on their level of sales readiness and engagement with your business. They indicate the specific stage a lead is at during the sales qualification process within the Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) lifecycle stage.
Some examples of common lead statuses are:
- New – A new lead just entered the CRM, no prior contact
- Attempted to Contact – Sales rep tried contacting the lead but received no response
- Connected – Lead has responded and two-way communication is established
- Open Deal – Lead has expressed interest in purchasing, deal is being negotiated
Why Use Lead Statuses?
Here are some key benefits of using lead statuses in HubSpot:
1. Organize Leads Effectively
Lead statuses help sales teams segment and prioritize leads appropriately. Sales reps can identify where each lead is in the pipeline and determine next actions.
2. Personalize Communication
Once a lead’s status is identified, marketing automation workflows can send them messages and content tailored to their specific stage. This level of personalization improves conversions.
3. Enhance Reporting
With all leads categorized, managers can easily track sales team performance through reports filtered by status. Bottlenecks can be identified and addressed.
Default Lead Statuses in HubSpot
HubSpot provides the following default lead status options:
- New
- Open
- In Progress
- Open Deal
- Unqualified
- Attempted to Contact
- Connected
- Bad Timing
These cover status changes during common sales activities. But you can customize them as needed.
How to Add or Edit Lead Statuses
Follow these steps to edit existing or add new lead statuses in HubSpot:
- Go to Contacts → Properties
- Select the Lead Status tab
- Click on Edit Lead Statuses
- Make changes:
- To edit a status, update the label and description
- To delete a status, click on the trash icon
- To create a new status, click on Add Lead Status and fill in details
- Click Save to apply changes
Ideally, lead statuses should represent the key steps in your sales process when qualifying an SQL. Involve both sales and marketing teams when finalizing statuses to align processes.
Uses Cases for Lead Statuses
Here are some examples of using lead statuses effectively:
1. Segment Contacts for Email Campaigns
Create customized email nurture campaigns targeted to leads based on their status:
- Send educational content to new and open leads
- Share product demos and trials with engaged leads
- Offer special deals to near closing leads
2. Assign Tasks in CRM
Set up rules to automatically assign follow-up tasks to sales reps when a lead’s status is updated:
- Schedule a call for new connections
- Set meetings to discuss product needs for engaged leads
- Send renewal contract to retained customers
3. Build Sales Reports
Group leads by status to analyze sales team performance:
- Number of new leads this month
- Open deals to closed deals conversion rate
- Average sales cycle length
Tips for Managing Lead Statuses
Here are some best practices for lead status management:
- Document status definitions clearly so the entire sales team applies them consistently
- Limit status options to key sales milestones to avoid confusion
- Review periodically and adjust statuses to match process changes
- Automate status updates using workflows when possible to save manual time
- Provide status visibility to both sales and marketing teams for alignment
Conclusion
Properly utilizing and customizing lead statuses in HubSpot CRM can have a significant impact on sales team productivity. It enhances organization, communication, and reporting around your leads. Document your sales process, collaborate with stakeholders, and continue optimizing your statuses. This small but strategic investment of time will pay off with big dividends.
