When a company is a lead and when an account?

**anubiz** · 2009-10-23, 12:33 PM

Hello Everyone,

I've got a question: if a company have never bought anything from my company, do I consider it to be an account or just a lead?

Please help

Lukasz

**salesagility** · 2009-10-23, 01:16 PM

There is no black and white answer to this.

However, IMHO:

If you have had extensive discussions with them and they have expressed interest in your product or service and you may do business with them in the future, then they are an Account

If you have had discussions with them and are unlikely to do business with them in future, then they are a lead (and probably a Dead lead)

There are of course shades of grey in between

**sugarcane** · 2009-10-23, 01:23 PM

Adding to salesagility's comments, generally, if you are ready to create an opportunity, then that is when you would convert a lead to a contact/account and create an opportunity. There is a type field on the Account, so if the opportunity ends up not closing, then you can still denote the account type, and whether or not they are really a customer.