Understanding the Lead Pipeline

What's the Pipeline?

The lead pipeline is basically a visual tracker showing where every potential job sits. Think of it like a board with columns — each lead moves from left to right as you progress things. No more scribbled notes on the back of receipts.

Every lead starts as New and ends up either Won or Lost. Your job is to move them through the middle stages as quickly as you can.

The Stages Explained

Here's what each status means:

• New — just come in, you haven't done anything with it yet. Could be a phone call, a website enquiry, or a mate's recommendation. It's sitting there waiting for you.
• Contacted — you've reached out. Called them back, sent a text, replied to their email. The ball's rolling.
• Quoted — you've sent them a price. This is where leads tend to sit the longest — people take their time deciding.
• Won — they said yes! The job is yours. Time to get it booked in.
• Lost — they went with someone else, changed their mind, or ghosted you. It happens. Mark it and move on.

Moving Leads Through the Pipeline

There are two ways to move a lead:

1. Drag and drop — on the pipeline view, just grab the lead card and drag it to the next column. Dead simple.
2. Change the status — open the lead, tap the status badge at the top, and pick the new stage from the dropdown.

You can skip stages if you need to. If someone calls up and accepts your price on the spot, go straight from New to Won. No rules here — it's your workflow.

Why Bother Tracking This?

Here's the thing most tradesmen don't realise: you're probably losing jobs not because your price is wrong, but because you're forgetting to follow up. A lead sitting in "Quoted" for three weeks with no chase-up is a lead going cold.

The pipeline makes it obvious. If you've got 15 leads stuck in "Quoted," that's your to-do list for the afternoon.

Tips for Follow-Up

Some practical advice that actually works:

• Follow up within 48 hours of sending a quote. A quick "just checking you got that okay" goes a long way.
• Don't chase more than three times. After that, you look desperate. Mark it Lost and move on.
• Use the notes field to jot down what was said. "Spoke to Karen, she's checking with husband" — future you will thank present you.
• Check your pipeline daily. Takes two minutes. Spot the leads going stale and give them a nudge.

Example: You quoted Mrs. Davies for a new bathroom on Monday. It's now Thursday. Open the lead, check your notes, and give her a ring. "Hi Mrs. Davies, just following up on that quote — any questions?" Simple.

Filtering and Sorting

Got loads of leads? Use the filters at the top to narrow things down. Filter by date, by source, or just search by name. You can also sort by newest first, oldest first, or by value — handy when you want to chase the big jobs first.

The pipeline isn't just a pretty picture. It's your money tracker. Treat it right and you'll close more jobs.