Leads
Leads are people and businesses who might buy from you. This screen keeps them in one list and follows each one from first contact to won or lost.
Why and when you use it
Enquiries arrive by phone, from a salesman's visit or from a walk-in, and they are easy to forget in a notebook. Keeping them as leads means nobody is left without a follow-up, and you can later see how many enquiries turned into customers. Owners and sales managers review the list; salesmen add the leads they meet on their routes.
Before you start
- Decide who in your team follows up which kind of lead
- Know the basic contact details of the enquiry
Step by step
- Open LeadsIn the left sidebar, under Stockivio ERP, open Leads. You see the leads already recorded and where each one stands.
- Add a new leadStart a new lead and fill in the form: who they are, the business name, phone and anything you know about what they want. Save it.
- Write down what they needNote the products and rough quantities they asked about, for example 'tea and biscuits, about ₹40,000 a month'. This helps whoever follows up.
- Log every contact as an activityAfter each call or visit, record it in Activities against the lead, with the next follow-up date. The lead's history then shows the whole conversation.
- Move the lead forwardWhen the lead becomes a real chance of business, follow it as a deal on the Pipeline screen and move it stage by stage.
- Close it as won or lostWhen they agree to buy, mark the lead won and add them in Customers so you can invoice them. If they say no, mark it lost and keep a short reason, such as price or credit terms.
Worked example
Imran, a salesman for Sharma Traders, visits a new shop on the Sanganer route: Shree Balaji General Store. The owner, Mr Agarwal, buys from another distributor but wants a better rate on tea and detergent.
- Imran opens Leads and starts a new lead.
- He enters Shree Balaji General Store, contact Mr Agarwal, phone 94141 22870, area Sanganer, Jaipur.
- In the notes he writes: 'Wants tea 250 g and detergent 1 kg, about ₹35,000 a month, asks for 15 days credit.' He saves the lead.
- Back in the office he logs the visit in Activities with a follow-up call on 14 Nov 2026.
Result: The lead is in the list where the owner can see it, with its first activity and a follow-up date, so the enquiry is not lost even if Imran is on leave.
💡 Tips
- Add the lead the same day you meet them, while the details are fresh.
- Always set a next follow-up when you log an activity; a lead without a next step usually goes cold.
- Keep the lost reason short and honest. After a few months it shows you whether you lose on price, credit or service.
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Adding an enquiry straight into Customers. It then clutters your route lists and reports before they ever buy. Keep it as a lead until it is won.
- Leaving old leads open forever. Close them as lost so the list shows only real chances.
Questions
What is the difference between a lead and a customer?
A lead might buy; a customer has bought or is ready to be billed. You can only invoice a customer, so add them in Customers when the lead is won.
🎬 Video walkthrough (script — recording coming soon)
- Scene 1: Open Leads from the sidebar and explain what a lead is.
- Scene 2: Add Shree Balaji General Store with contact and phone.
- Scene 3: Type what the shop wants in the notes and save.
- Scene 4: Jump to Activities and log the visit with a follow-up date.
- Scene 5: Show how a won lead is added in Customers and a lost lead is closed with a reason.