Leads vs Contacts: when to use which
Leads are your active pipeline; contacts are your relationships. Getting the split right keeps your daily list clean.
Quick answer
Use a lead when there is a specific deal you are following up about on a cadence. Use a contact for relationships you want to keep without active follow-up pressure, like past clients and referral partners.
One of the most common questions is simple on the surface: should this person be a lead or a contact? Getting it right keeps your pipeline focused and your daily list trustworthy.
The core distinction
Leads are your active pipeline. Contacts are your relationships. A lead is someone moving toward a transaction, whom you follow up with on a cadence. A contact is someone in your network — a past client, a referral partner — who matters over time but doesn't need day-to-day follow-up pressure.
Why it matters
Today's Actions is built around leads and their follow-up dates. Put everyone in "leads" and your daily list gets noisy; put everyone in "contacts" and your pipeline looks empty. The right split keeps your daily list about people who genuinely need you today, while your long-term relationships stay organized in the background.
Working through the gray areas
A past client who closed happily → contact. A referral partner → contact. A brand-new inquiry → always a lead (stage: New). A "someday" seller → a contact until there's a real timeline, then promote to a lead. A long-cold lead → your call, based on whether you want RelkoAI actively reminding you about them.
A simple decision rule
When unsure, ask: "Is there a specific deal I'm following up about on a cadence?" Yes → lead. "No, I just want to stay in touch" → contact. People move between the two as relationships become opportunities and opportunities become closings — that flow is exactly how a healthy book of business breathes.
Steps / Key takeaways
- Leads = active pipeline; contacts = relationships.
- Today's Actions is built around leads and their follow-up dates.
- Move closed clients to contacts to keep your pipeline honest.
Frequently asked questions
Should a past client be a lead or a contact?
A contact. The active transaction is done, but they are a valuable long-term relationship and source of referrals.
How do I decide quickly?
Ask: is there a specific deal I am following up about on a cadence? Yes means lead; "just staying in touch" means contact.
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