Lead Lifecycle
The lead lifecycle is the full sequence of stages a contact moves through with your business, from the first interaction to becoming a customer (and beyond).
In depth
A lifecycle gives marketing and sales a shared map of where every contact stands: visitor, lead, marketing-qualified lead, sales-qualified lead, opportunity, and customer. Each transition is governed by entry and exit criteria, so a lead only advances when it meets a defined bar, such as completing a quiz or booking a demo. This shared model prevents the classic friction where marketing claims to pass plenty of leads while sales insists none are ready to buy.
The most common mistake is treating the lifecycle as a one-way funnel, when in reality contacts loop back, stall, or re-enter after going cold. A healthy lifecycle includes recycling paths and clear ownership at each stage. In a quiz-funnel workflow, the scorecard sits at the top: it converts anonymous traffic into named, scored leads and assigns each a starting stage, which the CRM then advances as the contact engages with follow-up sequences and sales conversations.
Example in practice
Frequently asked questions
What are the typical lead lifecycle stages?
Common stages are visitor, lead, marketing-qualified lead, sales-qualified lead, opportunity, and customer. Some teams add subscriber at the top and evangelist after the sale.
Who owns the lead lifecycle?
Ownership is shared: marketing typically owns the early stages and sales owns the later ones, with RevOps defining the transition criteria. Clear handoff rules prevent leads from falling through the cracks.
How does a quiz funnel fit into the lifecycle?
A quiz funnel sits at the very top, converting anonymous visitors into named, scored leads. The score determines the starting lifecycle stage and can trigger the right nurture path automatically.