As you work with potential customers (your leads), at some point you will want to convert them from a lead to a contact. That is, you have progressed the opportunity through the sales pipeline and the lead has become a qualified lead.
When you change a lead to a contact, you can simply convert the lead to a contact, you can also create a new deal for the converted lead, and create a task for the converted lead, (for example, prompting you to follow up with them).
This article covers the following topics:
Converting a lead to a contact in Sell
There are two ways you can convert a lead to a contact: via the Sell REST API, or manually in Sell. To create or read lead conversions using the Zendesk REST API, seeLead conversions.
To convert a lead to a contact in Sell
- In Sell, clickLeads(
), then click the lead you want to convert. - ClickConvert.
- Update the profile information of the lead as needed.
(Optional) You can also create a new deal or task by selecting the checkbox forCreate a deal for the converted leadorCreate a task for each converted lead.
- ClickConvert.
Converting leads in bulk
You can also convert multiple leads at one time using either theIndexorTableviews on theLeadspage.
To convert leads in bulk
- In Sell, clickLeads(), then click the check box next to the name of the leads that you want to convert.
- (Optional) Make any modifications to the lead name and company prior to the conversion.
- When you have selected all of the leads or contacts that you want to convert, clickConvertat the top of the list.
You will see a dialog similar to the one for converting a single lead. You won’t have the option to edit the lead name and company.
- (Optional) You can create a new deal or task by selecting the checkbox forCreate a deal for the converted leadorCreate a task for each converted lead.
- ClickConvert.
Your leads are converted to contacts and if you add any new deals and tasks, then they are included on the contact card of the lead. New deals are classified asIncomingin your sales pipeline.
The following conditions and rules apply when converting leads to contacts:
- A lead’s tags are handled in the following ways:
- When you convert a lead, their tags are also added to the new contact card and the new deal card, (if you had chosen that option).
- If you chose to also add a deal when converting, the lead’s tags are added to theTagstab in theProspects and Customerssettings page.
- If you did not create a deal when converting a lead, then their tags are only added to theTagstab in theContactssettings page.
- If you change a contact from a prospect or customer back to a regular contact, no tags are removed, (all tags remain).
- If you have allowed it, when you convert a lead to a contact, your custom fields are also transferred into the new contact card. You can define this when you set up the custom field (seeCreating and managing custom fields).
- When you convert multiple leads in bulk and choose to also create a new deal, the new deal is named after the lead’s name. You can edit the deal to update the name as needed.
- Converting a lead to a contact is a one-way action in Sell. You cannot convert contacts back to leads. However, if you have accidentally converted a lead to a contact, then you have several options for undoing the conversion. For more information (seeConverting a contact back into a lead).
- When a lead is converted to a contact, the lead source field is not converted along with the other data. If you want to retain that data, store it in another field or create a deal when converting a lead to a contact so that the source field transfers to the deal and is not lost.
- A lead's notes are handled in the following ways:
- When you convert a lead person to a company person, the notes on the lead person go to the company person.
- When you convert a lead company to a contact company, the notes on the lead company go to the contact company.
Considerations for relevant conditions and rules
When you create a lead, you must enter information into default fields. These fields have specific behavior that you cannot modify (unlike custom fields, which can be modified). Leads can contain a first name, last name, and a company name, which creates both a person and a company contact. With this in mind, consider the following default fields and their inheritances when converting leads.
- ACompany Contact- inherits the default fields: Industry, Website, Address, and Tags
- APerson Contact- inherits the default fields: Mobile Number, Work Number, Email, Fax Number, Socials (Twitter, Facebook, Skype, LinkedIn), Industry, Website, Description, Address, and Tags
9 Comments
The lead source should be carried to Contact. Every company wants to have documentation where their clients are coming, and if they want to have any kind of idea on what is actually working and resulting in leads that are successful and who eventually became customers. This is an important data point for the sales team and their cooperation with marketing for focusing efforts on platforms and sources that are generating sales-qualified leads.
Not having this option seriously cripples any organization and important data is lost forever when the lead is converted. Leaving companies without any idea where their customers are coming from.
I don't see one reason why the source would not be carried to contact. We may need to ask for this feature
@...we had the same issue, I solved it by removing all the options from Lead Sources and adding a custom field that is copied over on conversion (we also made it required). the only downside is the agent has to scroll past the swathes of other fields before getting to the custom fields... but that's another issue.
Hi Matthew and Lea,
I am sorry that the source information is not carried over to converted deals/contacts in the current Sell logic. If you feel this something important please leave your feedback and feature request directly to our Product Management team here:https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/topics/360003042793--Feedback-on-Sell. They read it on a regular basis and take these requests into consideration.
Warm Regards
Kaja Błachowicz | Zendesk Sell | Technical Support EngineerVisit our Support Center
I'm using zendesk-agent tickets and zendesk sell but each time i want to import data in zendesk sell it fails to update as it was logged in the zendesk-agent ticket hence cant see it in my zendesk sell report.How do we go about this?
Thank you for reaching out to Zendesk Sell!
Sorry to hear about this and I'm happy to assist! I just want to clarify something, if you say Zendesk-Agent tickets do you mean Zendesk Support? Are you trying to simply import data in your Zendesk Sell instance? Can you provide me withthe steps on how did you import your data?
Furthermore, can you send over a screenshot of what exactly you do see when you are trying to import?
Hope to hear from you!
I created a ticket on your behalf and will send it to you via email so we can further discuss your Sell concern.
Thank you!
When I convert a lead to a contact, is the Lead creation date carried in some way? How do I keep this info available even in contacts and deals?
Daniel我们在这个问题,据我们所知is completely lost (like Source). We added an extra field, Lead Creation Date, that is only editable by admins and carried over to contacts, and have an API job that sets it to the creation date on new leads.
Without this, I have no idea how the reporting in Sell can be accurate, as it doesn't know when Contacts were first added to the system as leads...
ThanksDanielandMatthew Carterfor raising this and suggesting a work around.
I was about to ask the same thing as I need to report on lead conversion via our suite of PowerBI sales visualizations. Oh well...
Pleasesign into leave a comment.