> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bizaxl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Leads Pipeline

> Capture and qualify prospective clients, track follow-ups, and convert won leads into active client engagements.

<Info>
  **Roles: CA Manager, CA Partner** - Only CA Managers and CA Partners can create, update, and convert leads. CA Staff has read-only access to the lead list.
</Info>

**Upstream dependencies:** None. The Leads Pipeline is the starting point for every new client relationship.

**Downstream:** A won lead converts into a CA Engagement, which is the master record from which all compliance work flows.

***

## Overview

A CA Lead is a record for a prospective client who has reached out to the firm. Leads help you track every enquiry in one place, qualify the prospect through a defined pipeline, and convert them into an active engagement when they decide to proceed.

The pipeline is designed for **inbound enquiries only.** The system does not include cold outreach tools, which is consistent with ICAI norms prohibiting solicitation.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-leads-list.png" alt="CA Lead list view showing prospects at different pipeline stages with their lead source and next follow-up date" />
</Frame>

***

## Who uses this feature

| Role           | What they do                                                                  |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **CA Manager** | Creates leads, logs activities, advances the pipeline, converts won leads     |
| **CA Partner** | Reviews the pipeline, reassigns leads, approves conversions for key prospects |

***

## Before you start

No prior records are needed. A CA Lead is created from scratch when a prospect first contacts the firm.

***

## The pipeline stages

Every lead moves through the following stages in order. You advance a lead manually by updating the **Stage** field and saving.

| Stage             | What it means                                                         |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **New**           | Enquiry received; first contact not yet made                          |
| **Contacted**     | A call or meeting has been arranged or completed                      |
| **Qualified**     | Scope, budget, authority, and timeline have been confirmed            |
| **Proposal Sent** | A fee proposal has been shared with the prospect                      |
| **Won**           | The prospect has agreed to engage; ready to convert                   |
| **Lost**          | The prospect did not proceed; a lost reason is required before saving |

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-lead-pipeline-stages.png" alt="CA Lead form showing the Stage field with options from New through Won and Lost" />
</Frame>

***

## Create a lead

**Path:** CA Practice Management → Leads Pipeline → CA Lead → New

1. Enter the **Lead Name** (company or individual name).
2. Fill in the contact person's name, email, and phone number.
3. Set the **Stage** to `New`.
4. Select the **Lead Source** (see options below).
5. In the **Lead Service** table, add the services the prospect is interested in.
6. Set a **Next Follow-up** date so the lead does not sit idle.
7. Fill in the BANT qualification fields as you learn more (see Field Guide below).
8. Save.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-lead-form-new.png" alt="New CA Lead form with Lead Name, Contact, Stage, Lead Source, and Next Follow-up Date fields visible" />
</Frame>

***

## Lead sources

Use the **Lead Source** field to record where the enquiry came from. This data feeds the source breakdown in firm analytics.

| Source                    | When to use it                                                            |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Website Enquiry**       | Prospect filled in a contact form or sent an email via the firm's website |
| **Client Referral**       | An existing client recommended the firm                                   |
| **Professional Referral** | A lawyer, banker, or other professional referred the prospect             |
| **Directory Listing**     | Prospect found the firm on a professional directory                       |
| **Inbound Call**          | Prospect called the firm's number directly                                |
| **Walk-in**               | Prospect visited the office without a prior appointment                   |
| **Tender / RFP**          | Firm was invited to bid for an assignment through a formal process        |
| **Networking**            | Contact made at a seminar, conference, or professional event              |
| **Cross-sell**            | An existing client enquired about an additional service                   |

***

## Log a lead activity

Every interaction with a prospect should be recorded in the **Lead Activity** table. This creates a dated, searchable log of everything that was discussed, promised, or sent.

**Path:** Open the Lead → Lead Activity section → Add Row

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-lead-activity-log.png" alt="Lead Activity table showing dated rows with activity type and notes for each prospect touchpoint" />
</Frame>

| Field             | Description/Purpose                                            |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Date**          | Date the interaction took place                                |
| **Activity Type** | Call, Meeting, Email, WhatsApp, Proposal, Site Visit, or Other |
| **Notes**         | What was discussed, promised, or agreed                        |
| **Done By**       | The staff member who conducted the activity                    |

***

## Qualify with BANT

When a lead reaches the **Qualified** stage, fill in the BANT fields to confirm the prospect is a genuine opportunity. These fields help you scope the engagement and set the right fee expectations.

| BANT Element  | Field in the form       | What to capture                                                                                        |
| ------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Budget**    | Expected Fee            | Approximate monthly retainer or one-time fee the prospect is willing to pay                            |
| **Authority** | Decision Maker          | Name of the person who will sign the engagement letter                                                 |
| **Need**      | Services Sought (table) | The specific compliance services the prospect requires                                                 |
| **Timeline**  | Statutory Deadline      | The nearest statutory deadline that is creating urgency (e.g. ITR due date, GST registration deadline) |

***

## Mark a lead as Lost

If a prospect does not proceed, set the Stage to `Lost`. The system requires a **Lost Reason** before the record can be saved. This is mandatory and cannot be bypassed.

Common lost reasons: fee too high, chose another firm, decided to manage in-house, requirement deferred, no response after repeated follow-up.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-lead-lost-reason.png" alt="CA Lead form in Lost stage with the Lost Reason field highlighted" />
</Frame>

***

## Convert a won lead

When a prospect agrees to engage, set the Stage to `Won` and click **Convert Lead**.

Before creating a new engagement, the system checks whether a CA Engagement already exists with the same **PAN** or **GSTIN**. If a match is found, the lead is linked to the existing engagement rather than creating a duplicate. If no match is found, a new CA Engagement is created with the lead's scoping details pre-filled.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-lead-convert.png" alt="CA Lead record in Won stage showing the Convert Lead button and the resulting engagement link" />
</Frame>

After conversion, the **Converted** field on the lead is set automatically and the **Engagement** field shows a link to the new or matched engagement. Both fields are read-only.

For the next steps after conversion, see [Client Engagements](/professional-services/ca-practice-management/client-engagements).

***

## Field guide

| Field                       | Description/Purpose                                                                                             |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Lead Name**               | Name of the prospect company or individual                                                                      |
| **Contact Person**          | Name of the primary point of contact at the prospect                                                            |
| **Contact Email**           | Email address used for correspondence and portal setup on conversion                                            |
| **Contact Phone**           | Primary phone number                                                                                            |
| **Stage**                   | Current position in the qualification pipeline (New through Won or Lost)                                        |
| **Lead Source**             | Channel through which the enquiry arrived                                                                       |
| **Lost Reason**             | Mandatory explanation when Stage is set to Lost                                                                 |
| **Assigned To**             | The manager or partner responsible for this lead                                                                |
| **Next Follow-up**          | Date by which the next touchpoint should happen                                                                 |
| **Expected Fee**            | BANT: estimated monthly retainer or one-time fee the prospect can pay                                           |
| **Decision Maker**          | BANT: name of the person authorised to commit to the engagement                                                 |
| **Statutory Deadline**      | BANT: the nearest compliance deadline creating urgency for the prospect                                         |
| **Services Sought (table)** | BANT: list of services the prospect is seeking                                                                  |
| **Company Type**            | Legal form of the prospect entity (Proprietorship, Partnership, LLP, Private Ltd, Public Ltd, HUF, Trust, etc.) |
| **Engagement Type**         | Whether the firm will provide CA services only, CS services only, or both                                       |
| **PAN**                     | Permanent Account Number (used for deduplication on conversion)                                                 |
| **GSTIN**                   | GST Identification Number (used for deduplication on conversion)                                                |
| **CIN**                     | Corporate Identification Number (for company prospects)                                                         |
| **DIN**                     | Director Identification Number (for director-level prospects)                                                   |
| **Is GST Registered**       | Whether the prospect is already registered under GST                                                            |
| **Is TDS Deductor**         | Whether the prospect deducts TDS and needs quarterly TDS returns                                                |
| **Turnover Band**           | Approximate annual turnover bracket; used to scope service complexity and fee                                   |
| **Registered Address**      | Registered office address of the prospect entity                                                                |
| **Lead Activity (table)**   | Dated log of every interaction: calls, meetings, proposals, emails                                              |
| **Notes**                   | Free-text field for additional context not covered by other fields                                              |
| **Converted**               | Read-only. Checked automatically when the lead is converted to an engagement                                    |
| **Engagement**              | Read-only. Link to the CA Engagement created or matched on conversion                                           |

***

## Workflow journey

```mermaid theme={null}
%%{init: {'theme':'base','themeVariables':{'fontFamily':'DM Sans','primaryColor':'#e7fdf6','primaryBorderColor':'#14f1b1','primaryTextColor':'#0f172a','lineColor':'#14f1b1'}}}%%
flowchart LR
  A[New] --> B[Contacted] --> C[Qualified] --> D[Proposal Sent] --> E{Decision}
  E -->|Yes| F[Won]
  E -->|No| G[Lost]
  F --> H[CA Engagement]
```

***

## Notifications and alerts

| Trigger                                    | What happens                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Next Follow-up date reached**            | The assigned manager receives an in-app reminder to follow up                         |
| **Lead idle for 14 days with no activity** | The assigned manager receives an escalation reminder                                  |
| **Lead converted to Won**                  | The system runs the PAN/GSTIN deduplication check and creates or links the engagement |

***

## Workspace access

**Path:** CA Practice Management → Leads Pipeline

The workspace card shows:

* Total leads currently in pipeline
* Leads by stage (shortcut count)
* Leads with an overdue Next Follow-up date (quick list)
* Pipeline conversion rate (chart, visible to CA Partner)

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-ca-leads-workspace.png" alt="CA Practice Management workspace showing the Leads Pipeline section with stage counts and follow-up alerts" />
</Frame>

***

## Best practices

* **Log every interaction as a lead activity.** Even a two-minute call should be recorded. Over time, this log becomes your negotiation history and protects you if a prospect later disputes what was agreed.
* **Set a Next Follow-up date every time you save.** A lead with no follow-up date tends to stall. If you just spoke to the prospect, pick the next date before you close the record.
* **Use the Turnover Band to scope early.** A prospect in the 50 lakh - 5 crore band and one in the 500 crore+ band need completely different service packages. Setting this field at the Qualified stage prevents under-scoping later.
* **Fill BANT fields before moving to Proposal Sent.** Sending a proposal before confirming authority and timeline wastes effort. Ensure you know who the decision maker is and when they need services to start.
* **Do not create multiple leads for the same prospect.** If a prospect re-enquires after being marked Lost, reopen the original lead and update its Stage rather than creating a new record. This preserves the full interaction history.
* **Lost Reason is valuable data.** Fill it thoughtfully rather than selecting a generic option. Over several months, patterns in lost reasons can point to pricing issues or service gaps.

***

## Related features

* [Client Engagements](/professional-services/ca-practice-management/client-engagements): The record created when a won lead converts
* [Feature Overview](/professional-services/ca-practice-management/feature-overview): Full list of modules and how they connect
* [Workflow Overview](/professional-services/ca-practice-management/workflow-overview): End-to-end journey from lead to filed return