Lead Management

Lead Management

Manage prospective student inquiries, admission leads, corporate training opportunities, and partnership requests using OpenEduCat’s integrated CRM system.

Time Required: 20-30 minutes Module: CRM (Customer Relationship Management) User Role: Admissions Counselor, Sales/Marketing Team, CRM Manager

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Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Enable Leads Feature
3. Create Leads
4. Manage the Pipeline
5. Convert Leads to Opportunities
6. Track Activities
7. Handle Lost Leads
8. Configure Inquiry Teams
9. Reporting and Analytics
10. Field Reference
11. Related Topics

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Overview

The CRM module in OpenEduCat enables educational institutions to:

• Capture inquiries from prospective students, parents, and corporate clients
• Track admission leads through a visual pipeline
• Manage follow-up activities with scheduled calls, emails, and meetings
• Convert qualified leads into admission applications or training enrollments
• Analyze conversion rates and team performance

Educational Use Cases

Lead Type	Description	Conversion Goal
Student Inquiry	Prospective student interested in programs	Admission Application
Parent Inquiry	Parent researching schools for their child	Campus Visit/Application
Corporate Training	Company seeking employee training programs	Training Contract
Partnership	Other institution seeking collaboration	Partnership Agreement
Alumni Referral	Referral from existing alumni	Admission Application
Event Attendee	Person who attended open house or webinar	Enrollment

Lead vs Opportunity

• Lead: An unqualified inquiry that needs initial screening
• Opportunity: A qualified prospect actively being pursued

The system allows you to work with leads first (qualifying stage) or directly with opportunities (for pre-qualified inquiries).

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Enable Leads Feature

By default, CRM works with opportunities only. Enable leads for a two-stage qualification process.

Step 1: Access CRM Settings

1. Navigate to CRM > Configuration > Settings
2. Locate the CRM section

Step 2: Enable Leads

1. Check the Leads checkbox
2. Click Save

After enabling, a new Leads menu appears in the CRM application header.

Disable Leads for Specific Teams

If certain teams should work directly with opportunities:

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Sales Teams
2. Select the team to configure
3. Uncheck the Leads checkbox under the team name
4. Click Save

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Create Leads

Leads can be created through multiple channels:

Method 1: Manual Creation

1. Navigate to CRM > Leads
2. Click New (top-left)
3. Fill in the lead form:

Field	Description	Example
Lead Title	Brief description of the inquiry	”BBA Program Inquiry - Fall 2026”
Contact Name	Prospective student or parent name	”Sarah Johnson”
Company Name	School, organization, or employer	”Springfield High School”
Email	Contact email address	”sarah.j@email.com”
Phone	Contact phone number	”+1 555-0123”
Expected Revenue	Estimated value (tuition, training fees)	25000.00

4. Use the Priority stars to indicate lead quality:

   • No stars: Low priority
   • 1 star: Medium priority
   • 2 stars: High priority
   • 3 stars: Very high priority (hot lead)

5. Click Save

Method 2: Email Alias

Configure an email alias to automatically create leads from incoming emails.

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Sales Teams

2. Select or create an inquiry team (e.g., “Admissions Inquiries”)

3. In the Email Alias field, enter an alias name (e.g., inquiries)

4. Set Accept Emails From:

   • Everyone: Accept from any sender
   • Authenticated Partners: Only from known contacts
   • Followers Only: Only from team followers
   • Authenticated Employees: Only from staff

5. Click Save

Emails sent to inquiries@yourinstitution.edu automatically create leads assigned to this team.

Method 3: Website Contact Form

If you have an OpenEduCat/Odoo website with a contact form:

1. Navigate to Website > Contact Us page
2. Click Edit in the top-right corner
3. Click on the contact form to open form settings
4. Set Action to Create an Opportunity
5. Select the appropriate Sales Team (e.g., “Admissions”)
6. Optionally assign a specific Salesperson (counselor)
7. Click Save

Submitted forms create leads (if leads are enabled) or opportunities directly.

Method 4: Import from Spreadsheet

For bulk import from education fairs, purchased lists, or CRM migrations:

1. Navigate to CRM > Leads
2. Click Favorites > Import Records
3. Upload your CSV or Excel file
4. Map columns to CRM fields
5. Click Import

Required columns for import:

• Lead Title (or Name)
• Contact Name

Recommended columns:

• Email
• Phone
• Program of Interest (use Tags)
• Source (where they heard about you)

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Manage the Pipeline

The CRM pipeline provides a visual Kanban view of all leads and opportunities.

Navigate to the Pipeline

1. Go to CRM > Sales > My Pipeline
2. View opportunities organized by stage columns

Pipeline Stages for Education

Configure stages that match your admission/sales process:

Stage	Description	Probability
New Inquiry	Initial contact, unqualified	10%
Information Sent	Brochures/catalog provided	20%
Campus Visit Scheduled	Tour or meeting arranged	40%
Campus Visit Completed	Visited and interested	60%
Application Started	Beginning application process	75%
Application Submitted	Formal application received	85%
Admitted/Won	Enrolled or contract signed	100%

Configure Pipeline Stages

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Stages
2. Click New to add a stage
3. Fill in:

Field	Description
Stage Name	Display name for the stage
Sequence	Order in the pipeline (lower = earlier)
Probability	Likelihood of closing (0-100%)
Sales Team	Leave blank for all teams, or select specific team
Folded in Pipeline	Check to collapse by default

4. Click Save

Move Leads Through Stages

• Drag and drop Kanban cards between columns
• Or open the lead/opportunity and change the Stage field
• Or use the stage buttons at the top of the form

Kanban Card Colors

Color-code leads by clicking the colored bar on the Kanban card:

• No color: Standard
• Green: Hot lead, prioritize
• Orange: Requires follow-up
• Red: At risk of loss
• Blue: Scheduled activity pending

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Convert Leads to Opportunities

When a lead is qualified and ready for active pursuit, convert it to an opportunity.

Step 1: Open the Lead

1. Navigate to CRM > Leads
2. Click on the lead to convert

Step 2: Check for Similar Records

• If a Similar Leads smart button appears, click it
• Review existing records to avoid duplicates
• Decide whether to merge or proceed separately

Step 3: Convert

1. Click Convert to Opportunity (top-left button)
2. In the popup, configure:

Field	Option	Description
Conversion Action	Convert to opportunity	Create new opportunity
	Merge with existing opportunities	Combine with similar records
Salesperson	(Select counselor)	Assign responsibility
Sales Team	(Select team)	Assign to team
Customer	Create a new customer	Add to contact database
	Link to existing customer	Connect to existing record
	Do not link to a customer	Keep standalone

3. Click Create Opportunity

Step 4: View the Opportunity

1. Navigate to CRM > Sales > My Pipeline
2. Find the newly created opportunity
3. Continue working through the pipeline stages

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Track Activities

Activities are follow-up tasks that keep leads progressing through the pipeline.

Activity Types for Education

Activity	Use Case	Icon
Email	Send program information, follow-up	Email
Call	Phone consultation with prospect	Phone
Meeting	Campus tour, counseling session	Calendar
To Do	Internal task reminder	Checkbox
Upload Document	Request/receive transcripts, forms	Document

Schedule an Activity

1. Open a lead or opportunity
2. In the chatter (right side), click Schedule Activity
3. Fill in:

Field	Description
Activity Type	Select from Email, Call, Meeting, etc.
Summary	Brief description of the task
Due Date	When the activity should be completed
Assigned To	Who is responsible
Notes	Additional details or instructions

4. Click Schedule

Complete an Activity

1. Open the lead/opportunity
2. In the activity widget, click Done (checkmark)
3. Optionally add a note about the outcome
4. The next suggested activity may appear automatically

Activity Plans

Create predefined sequences of activities for consistent follow-up.

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Activity Plan
2. Click New
3. Enter a Plan Name (e.g., “New Inquiry Follow-up”)
4. Add activities with timing:

Activity	Timing	Example
Email - Welcome	0 days after	Send welcome email with brochure
Call - Initial Contact	2 days after	Phone call introduction
Meeting - Campus Tour	7 days after	Schedule campus visit
Email - Follow-up	14 days after	Check interest, answer questions

5. Click Save

Launch an Activity Plan

1. Open a lead or opportunity
2. Click Schedule Activity
3. In the Plan field, select your activity plan
4. Set the Plan Date (reference date for timing)
5. Assign team members
6. Click Schedule

All activities in the plan are automatically scheduled.

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Handle Lost Leads

Not every inquiry converts. Track lost leads for analysis and potential future re-engagement.

Mark a Lead/Opportunity as Lost

1. Open the lead or opportunity
2. Click Lost (top of the form)
3. In the popup:
   • Select a Lost Reason from the dropdown
   • Add optional Closing Notes with details
4. Click Mark as Lost

A red “Lost” banner appears on the record.

Configure Lost Reasons

Create reasons specific to your institution:

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Lost Reasons
2. Click New
3. Enter a description

Example lost reasons for education:

Lost Reason	Description
Chose Another Institution	Enrolled elsewhere
Financial Constraints	Could not afford tuition
Program Not Available	Desired program not offered
Location/Distance	Too far from home
Timing/Deferral	Not ready to enroll now
Unresponsive	Could not reach after multiple attempts
Did Not Meet Requirements	Academic or other requirements not met
Changed Career Plans	No longer interested in the field

View Lost Leads

1. Navigate to CRM > Sales > My Pipeline or CRM > Leads
2. Click the search bar dropdown
3. Under Filters, select Lost
4. Lost records are displayed

Filter by Lost Reason

1. Click Add Custom Filter
2. Set: Lost Reason = [Select reason]
3. Click Add

Restore a Lost Lead

To reactivate a lost lead:

1. View lost leads using the Lost filter
2. Open the lead to restore
3. Click Restore (top-left)

The red banner is removed and the lead returns to the active pipeline.

Bulk Restore

1. Switch to List View (list icon, top-right)
2. Select checkboxes for leads to restore
3. Click Actions > Unarchive

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Configure Inquiry Teams

Organize your counselors and sales staff into teams for different functions.

Create an Inquiry Team

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Sales Teams
2. Click New
3. Fill in:

Field	Description	Example
Sales Team	Team name	”Undergraduate Admissions”
Team Leader	Manager for this team	”John Smith”
Email Alias	Auto-create leads from email	”undergrad”
Accept Emails From	Who can send to alias	”Everyone”

4. Click Save

Add Team Members

1. On the team form, click Add under Members tab
2. Select the Salesperson (counselor)
3. Configure:

Field	Description
Skip auto assignment	Check to exclude from automatic lead distribution
Leads (30 days)	Current/max lead count for workload balancing
Domain	Rules for lead matching (optional)

4. Click Save & Close

Example Teams for Education

Team	Purpose	Email Alias
Undergraduate Admissions	Bachelor’s program inquiries	undergrad@
Graduate Admissions	Master’s and doctoral inquiries	graduate@
International Admissions	International student inquiries	international@
Corporate Training	B2B training requests	training@
Continuing Education	Certificate and non-degree programs	continuinged@
Alumni Relations	Alumni engagement and giving	alumni@

Enable Multi-Team Assignment

To allow counselors on multiple teams:

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Settings
2. Check Multi Teams
3. Click Save

Counselors can now be members of multiple inquiry teams.

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Reporting and Analytics

Pipeline Analysis

1. Navigate to CRM > Reporting > Pipeline
2. View the default bar chart showing opportunities by stage

Key Metrics for Education CRM

Metric	Description	How to View
Lead Count	Total number of inquiries	Measures > Count
Expected Revenue	Total projected tuition/fees	Measures > Expected Revenue
Conversion Rate	Leads to applications	Pivot view by stage
Days in Stage	Time spent per stage	Measures > Days in Stage
Won/Lost Ratio	Success rate	Pipeline Analysis filters

Create Custom Reports

1. Go to CRM > Reporting > Pipeline
2. Remove default filters
3. Add filters:
   • Click Filters > Add Custom Filter
   • Set conditions (e.g., Expected Closing is between [dates])
4. Add groupings:
   • Click Group By and select dimensions (Salesperson, Team, Stage)

View Options

View	Best For	Icon
Bar Chart	Comparing categories	Bar icon
Line Chart	Trends over time	Line icon
Pie Chart	Distribution breakdown	Pie icon
List View	Detailed record list	List icon
Pivot View	Cross-tabulation analysis	Grid icon

Expected Revenue Report

Track projected enrollment revenue:

1. Navigate to CRM > Reporting > Pipeline
2. Click Measures > Expected Revenue
3. Add filter: Expected Closing is set AND is between [start-end dates]
4. Add filter: Salesperson is set (exclude unassigned)
5. Group by Salesperson or Sales Team

Win/Loss Analysis

Analyze conversion success:

1. Navigate to CRM > Reporting > Pipeline
2. Add filter: Active = False (includes won and lost)
3. Group by Stage and Lost Reason
4. Switch to Pivot view for detailed breakdown

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Field Reference

Lead/Opportunity Form Fields

Field	Technical Name	Type	Description
Lead Title	name	Char	Summary description
Contact Name	contact_name	Char	Prospect’s name
Company Name	partner_name	Char	Organization name
Email	email_from	Char	Contact email
Phone	phone	Char	Contact phone
Mobile	mobile	Char	Mobile number
Street	street	Char	Address line 1
City	city	Char	City
Country	country_id	Many2one	Country
Salesperson	user_id	Many2one	Assigned counselor
Sales Team	team_id	Many2one	Assigned team
Expected Revenue	expected_revenue	Monetary	Projected value
Probability	probability	Float	Likelihood of success (%)
Expected Closing	date_deadline	Date	Target close date
Priority	priority	Selection	Lead quality (0-3 stars)
Stage	stage_id	Many2one	Pipeline stage
Tags	tag_ids	Many2many	Categorization labels
Source	source_id	Many2one	Lead origin
Medium	medium_id	Many2one	Marketing medium
Campaign	campaign_id	Many2one	Marketing campaign
Lost Reason	lost_reason_id	Many2one	Why lead was lost

Useful Tags for Education

Configure tags to categorize leads:

Tag	Purpose
Undergraduate	Bachelor’s program interest
Graduate	Master’s/doctoral interest
International	International student
Transfer	Transfer student
Financial Aid	Needs scholarship info
Campus Visit	Requested or completed tour
Hot Lead	High priority, close to decision
Waitlist	On program waitlist

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Best Practices

For Admission Counselors

1. Respond quickly: Contact new leads within 24-48 hours
2. Log all interactions: Record calls, emails, meetings in the chatter
3. Use activities: Schedule follow-ups to prevent leads going cold
4. Update stages promptly: Keep the pipeline current
5. Add notes: Document prospect interests, concerns, and requirements

For CRM Managers

1. Review pipeline weekly: Identify stuck leads and bottlenecks
2. Monitor team workload: Balance lead distribution
3. Analyze lost reasons: Address common objections
4. Track conversion rates: Measure team and individual performance
5. Clean up regularly: Archive old, unresponsive leads

Lead Scoring Tips

Use priority stars consistently:

• 3 stars: Ready to apply, just needs final push
• 2 stars: Engaged, responsive, good fit
• 1 star: Interested but early stage
• No stars: Cold lead, minimal engagement

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Troubleshooting

Leads menu not visible

Problem: Cannot see the Leads menu in CRM.

Solution:

1. Go to CRM > Configuration > Settings
2. Check the Leads checkbox
3. Click Save
4. Refresh the page

Email alias not creating leads

Problem: Emails sent to the alias do not create leads.

Solution:

1. Verify email alias is configured on the sales team
2. Check Accept Emails From settings
3. Ensure your email server is properly configured
4. Check spam/junk folders

Cannot convert lead to opportunity

Problem: Convert to Opportunity button not working.

Solution:

1. Ensure the lead is not already marked as lost
2. Check user permissions for CRM
3. Verify at least one stage exists in the pipeline

Lost leads not appearing

Problem: Cannot find lost leads in the system.

Solution:

1. Remove all filters from the search bar
2. Add Filters > Lost explicitly
3. Check if leads were permanently deleted (requires admin recovery)

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Related Topics

• Admission Management - Convert opportunities to formal applications
• Student Records - Manage enrolled students
• Fee Management - Handle tuition and fee collection
• Events Management - Track open house and campus visit events

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Last updated: January 2026