Account statuses
Every CRM account sits at one of four statuses. New accounts start at suspect.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Suspect | A company that exists in the database. Nothing has been established |
| Qualified | Established as worth pursuing |
| Prospect | Actively being sold to |
| Customer | Buys from you |
Moving between them
The ladder moves one rung at a time, in either direction.
| Action | Moves |
|---|---|
| Progress | Suspect → Qualified → Prospect → Customer |
| Reverse | Customer → Prospect → Qualified → Suspect |
There is no skipping. An account cannot go from suspect straight to customer in one step.
Important
Most accounts are promoted by their opportunities, not by hand. Advancing an opportunity drags its account up the ladder — see How accounts and opportunities drive each other. Reaching for Progress manually is usually a sign the opportunity has not been updated.