--- title: Citrus America Lead Progression Logic type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-10-29-citrus-america-hubspot-connect-97612083.md tags: - hubspot - citrus-america - lead-management - workflows - crm - automation layer: 2 client_source: null industry_context: null transferable: true --- # Citrus America Lead Progression Logic ## Overview This article documents the HubSpot lifecycle stage workflow finalized with Citrus America (Miriam Framson) during a working session on 2026-04-05. It covers the full lead progression from initial contact through opportunity creation, including stage-skipping rules, field requirements, and automation triggers. See also: [[clients/citrus-america/_index]] | [[knowledge/hubspot/opportunity-deal-automation]] --- ## Stage Progression ### Full Pipeline ``` Prospect → Lead → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Customer ``` Each stage is triggered automatically when the required fields on the **contact record** are populated. Fields may be set to `"Unknown"` to satisfy the trigger condition when information is not yet available — the workflow fires on the presence of a value, not its content. --- ### Stage Definitions & Trigger Criteria | Stage | Trigger Fields | Notes | |---|---|---| | **Prospect** | Name known, but insufficient data for Lead | Entry point for any identified contact | | **Lead** | First name, last name, email, state, category | Basic qualification; all four fields required | | **MQL** | Lead fields + juicing status ("Are they juicing?") | Intermediate qualification; may be skipped (see below) | | **SQL** | MQL fields + juicing volume (gallons/cases), equipment details, fruit/juice preferences, application type, container type, operation style, location flexibility | Full sales qualification | | **Opportunity** | BANT criteria met: Budget, Authority, Need, Timing | Triggers automated deal creation | | **Customer** | Deal closed won | — | --- ### MQL Skip Rule If a sales rep gathers all MQL **and** SQL data in a single call, the contact may advance directly from **Lead → SQL**, bypassing the MQL stage. The MQL-specific field ("Are they juicing?") must still be answered (or set to `"Unknown"`) before the SQL workflow triggers. > **Rationale:** Avoids penalizing efficient calls where a prospect is highly communicative and provides all information upfront. --- ## Non-Active Lifecycle Stages In addition to the forward progression stages, the following stages handle contacts who exit the active pipeline: | Stage | Use Case | |---|---| | **Not Ready** | Contact is interested but lacks budget or timing; enters a nurture drip | | **Unqualified** | Contact is no longer interested or is a bogus lead; do not contact | | **Departed** | Contact has left their company; record preserved with full activity history | | **Other** | Catch-all for edge cases | | **Evangelist** | Super-customer; available but unlikely to be used frequently | | **Subscriber** | Email list subscriber; under review for removal | > **Note on "Departed":** This stage was added during this session. When a key contact leaves a company, mark them as Departed rather than deleting the record. Their full activity history is preserved. If a replacement contact is identified, create a new contact record and manually transfer the relevant lead stage and context. > **Note on "Unqualified":** Internally referred to as "disqualified" in some contexts (e.g., Brian uses "bogus lead"). The team should use **Unqualified** as the canonical term in HubSpot. Document this distinction in internal training materials. --- ## Opportunity & Deal Automation When a contact's lifecycle stage is set to **Opportunity** (triggered by BANT criteria being met), a workflow automatically creates an associated deal record. - **Trigger:** Lifecycle stage changes to `Opportunity` - **Action:** New deal created and linked to the contact - **Default deal name:** `[Company Name] - New Deal` - **Editable:** Yes — reps can rename the deal (e.g., to reflect machine type or product line) > This automation was confirmed as buildable by Chris Østergaard, who has implemented similar flows for other clients. --- ## Data Entry & Field Management ### "Unknown" Values All qualifying fields support an `"Unknown"` option. This allows workflows to trigger even when a rep cannot obtain a specific answer, while still signaling that the question was asked. ### Simplified Data Entry UI (Planned) To improve sales team adoption, Chris Østergaard is researching a simplified data-entry interface — potentially a pop-up questionnaire or embedded form — that consolidates all required contact fields in one place. This would replace the need to navigate the full HubSpot contact profile for routine updates. ### Contact Record vs. Company Record All lead stage data is stored on the **contact (person) record**, not the company record. A mirrored field on the company record can be configured to reflect the lead stage of the primary contact, enabling visibility at the account level without duplicating ownership. --- ## Contact Cleanup Plan A full contact cleanup is planned following workflow activation, led by Miriam Framson. **Priorities:** 1. Mark all confirmed customers as `Customer` 2. Input stage data for all active sales conversations 3. Reassign all contacts currently owned by departed rep **Jay** to active reps 4. Push remaining contacts back to `Lead` or `MQL` if qualifying data is absent **Process:** 1. Export all contacts to a spreadsheet (Mark Hope has done this previously for other clients) 2. Edit the spreadsheet — hide/delete irrelevant columns, update fields as needed 3. Re-import the spreadsheet to apply bulk changes **Constraint:** Picklist fields in the spreadsheet must exactly match the option values configured in HubSpot. Freeform text in a picklist column will fail on import. --- ## Open Items & Next Steps | Owner | Action | |---|---| | **Chris Østergaard** | Activate lead progression workflows (Prospect → Lead → MQL → SQL) | | **Chris Østergaard** | Build Opportunity workflow to auto-create deals on lifecycle stage change | | **Chris Østergaard** | Research simplified data-entry UI (pop-up questionnaire / embedded form) | | **Chris Østergaard** | Investigate automation for Closed Won / Closed Lost deal outcomes | | **Miriam Framson** | Test full lead-to-opportunity flow with the sales team | | **Miriam Framson** | Lead contact cleanup project using export/import method | --- ## Key Decisions - **MQL skip is allowed** when all data is gathered in a single call — the rep must still answer the juicing question. - **"Unknown" is a valid field value** for all qualifying fields; workflows trigger on value presence, not value content. - **Lead data lives on the contact record**, not the company record. - **"Departed" lifecycle stage added** to preserve history for contacts who have left their companies. - **"Unqualified" is the canonical disqualification stage**; internal docs should clarify this terminology. - **Deal auto-creation** will be triggered by lifecycle stage changing to Opportunity, with naming convention `[Company Name] - New Deal`. --- ## Related - [[clients/citrus-america/_index]] - [[knowledge/hubspot/opportunity-deal-automation]] - [[knowledge/hubspot/contact-cleanup-export-import]] - [[knowledge/hubspot/lifecycle-stage-definitions]]