1. Definitions and Objectives
2. Helpful tool
3. Assigning a lead (queue management)
4. Treating a lead
5. Closed statuses
6. Mandatory Fields
7. FAQ

Status Path

The status path is how we record the progress of the Lead. By properly assigning the correct status, we can better prioritize our Leads and take appropriate action. 

The best practice is to close a Lead within 5 days of it's creation. 30 days is the maximum number of days a Lead should remain open. 

Path Guidance

By opening the Path Guidance you can access:

• Description of the status
• Links to training materials
• Mandatory fields which are editable

Learn more about the path guidance

Related Contacts & Leads

The Related Contact and Related Leads all you to immediately see if a contact exists for the lead and recent leads which belong to this customer. 

Email Templates

Quick Reply templates are designed to help the Lead Management Process by automatically adding the Lead’s request information in the body of the email so you don’t have to. 

The Quick Reply template will automatically include the following information:

1. In salutation 
1. Lead’s full name
2. In main message:
1. Date request submitted
2. Type of request submitted
3. Related product associated with
   the request (if applicable)
4. The question asked
3. In signature
1. Your name, job title and email

Learn how to use Quick Reply templates

Evaluating the Lead

a. Determine if the Lead is an existing customer. Review previous Lead requests.

b. Check comments field for information. 

c. Review Lead’s personal information (company, country, etc.)

d. Review Lead request

Responding to the Lead

The best practice when responding to a lead is to email them directly from Salesforce. You will find Quick Reply email templates which automatically add the Lead’s request information in the body of the email so you don’t have to. 

Learn how to use Quick Reply templates

If you need more information from the Lead before you can help them: 

e. Email Lead using the Quick Reply Templates

f. Select “Waiting for more information”

g. Select “Mark as Current Status”

When you have answered their request, you are ready to close the lead.

Closing the Lead

You have four choices for closing statuses when you are closing a lead:

1. Converted: The Lead has a clear project or business potential and you will work directly with them to qualify the sale
2. Treated: The Lead does not have a clear project at this time but there is potential for future business from this relationship
3. Passed to Distribution: The volume needed is too small to treat directly
4. Abandoned: The lead has no business potential for Solvay

Learn more about selecting each status

Converted

Select this status to close Leads who have a clear project to support and are ready to convert to opportunity

Be selective and careful when converting a lead. Ensure that:

• The opportunity value falls within your GBU guidelines
• All mandatory fields are complete
• You have found the correct existing account when possible and you are part of the account team
• You follow the correct account creation process when needed

Mandatory Fields

• GBU
• BU
• Address
• Job Department
• Function
• Partner Type
• Partner Sub Type
• Product Code
• Corporate Group
• End Use

FAQs

Q: Why do I have to add the complete address? 

A: Complete address is essential for contact and account creation and therefore needs to be mandatory for conversion. If you are converting a Lead to a new Contact with an existing account, please manually copy the address from the account and add it to the Lead. If you are converting a Lead to an existing Contact, you may add any characters to proceed and the existing Contact will not be impacted. 

Q: What if I don't know the Product Code? Why is it mandatory? 

A: Product codes are essential for some processes related to Opportunities and had to be mandatory for Lead Conversion. Often the Product Code is assigned at form submission. But if you do not have a specific product code you can enter any characters to proceed, for example: N/A. 

Q: What happens to the Lead when converted?

A: When a Lead is converted into a Customer, the Lead record becomes obsolete and the information in the lead is incorporated into the Contact record so you can focus one record. 

Q: If the Lead has quote or sample request information, what happens when converted? 

A: There are two scenarios:

1. Convert the Lead to an Opportunity, create a new Sample or Quote from the opportunity and the date related to the Sample or Quote will automatically be incorporated.
2. If you need to bypass the opportunity, you should copy the Sample or Quote data before converting the Lead. 

Treated

Select this status to close Leads who have been treated and have potential for future business

If you have answered the Lead’s request and determined that at this time there is no sales opportunity at this time but see potential for future sales opportunities, then select this status.

Closing Reasons you will be asked to select:

• Answered question
• Passed on to external agent
• Passed on to Solvay employee outside CRM
• Sample Sent
• SDS/Regulatory info provided
• Technical data provided

Passed to Distribution

Abandoned

Lead Creation

These fields must be completed in order for a lead record to be created in Salesforce. Missing data will result in errors. 

• Email

• Name (First Name is optional, Last Name is mandatory)

• Company

• Question Asked 

• Language (default is English)

• Lead Currency (default is Euro)

• Lead Status (default is Unqualified for digital campaigns and Qualified for Web-to-Lead requests)

• Lead Owner (default uses Salesforce Assignment rules, can be customized for digital campaigns)
• Source (default is Web)

• Type (defined by the Web-to-Lead form used)

• Marketing Source (manually defined by digital campaign or automatically defined by Type) 

Process Critical

These data fields are essential for related processes, like lead assignment automations, campaign reporting, etc. These fields should be included in any form a customer submits to Solvay. 

• Country (mandatory on all forms)
• Function (mandatory on all forms)
• GBU (defined by product, product family or campaign)
• BU (defined by product or campaign) 

Lead Conversion

In addition to all previous fields, these fields must be completed by the Lead Owner before a Lead can be converted to a Contact. Missing data will result in errors. 

• Partner Type
• Partner Sub Type
• Product Code
• Corporate Group
• End Use