The stage says where a lead stands on the way to a meeting, and it is the basis of almost every number on [**Home** ↗](https://app.indeal.ai/) - a wrong stage distorts the analysis immediately.

**Contents**
- [The six stages](#the-six-stages)
- [Changing the stage](#changing-the-stage)
- [What you are asked for when switching](#what-you-are-asked-for-when-switching)
- [Discovery failed is not a step backwards](#discovery-failed-is-not-a-step-backwards)
- [After Discovery done](#after-discovery-done)
- [Lead lost, and what comes after](#lead-lost-and-what-comes-after)
- [The most common mistakes](#the-most-common-mistakes)
- [Next](#next)


## The six stages

| Stage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Qualify** | You check whether business with this contact is possible. |
| **Set discovery** | The contact is warm, a meeting is the goal. |
| **Discovery scheduled** | The meeting is booked with a date. |
| **Discovery failed** | The meeting did not take place. |
| **Discovery done** | The conversation happened. |
| **Lead lost** | Nothing will come of this contact. |

For every stage, inDeal shows a short hint on the detail page about what to do next.

## Changing the stage

Two ways:

1. **On the detail page:** click the stage you want in the bar inside the **Pipeline & status** block.
2. **In Kanban:** drag the card into the target column.

Both lead to the same result.

## What you are asked for when switching

Depending on the target stage, a small window opens with the matching fields. Most of it is optional - the note **All fields optional.** sits in the window. For the three meeting stages the **Meeting date** is required, and the window says **Meeting date is required, all other fields are optional.**

- **To Discovery scheduled:** **Meeting date**, **Meeting booked by** and **Description**.
- **To Discovery done and Discovery failed:** **Meeting date**, **Follow-up date** and **Next step**. The meeting date can't be in the future. If the lead has a calendar appointment, its date is used and can't be changed here (**Taken from the calendar appointment.**).
- **To Lead lost:** **Select reason**, with a list of predefined reasons.
- **For every other stage:** **Follow-up date** and **Next step**.

![The dialog when switching to Set discovery](https://avhmrgajilnfyuvkhect.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/helpcenter/leads/lead-stage-dialog.png)

Fill these fields in anyway. Without a follow-up date the lead disappears from your work list.

If a lead on **Discovery done** or **Discovery failed** has no meeting date, the detail page shows **Meeting date missing** under **Meeting date**. Add the date there and click **Save date** - the stage stays as it is. If the lead is still on **Discovery scheduled**, **Add meeting** opens the meeting window.

## Discovery failed is not a step backwards

If a meeting falls through, set the lead to **Discovery failed** instead of back to **Set discovery**. Two reasons:

1. The stage is highlighted on **Home** in the **Discovery pipeline** and carries a **hot** marker. It will not get lost.
2. The **Show rate** analysis relies on that distinction. Move the lead back and your meeting rate looks better than it is.

## After Discovery done

Once a lead sits on **Discovery done**, its detail page shows the **Deal phase** section with the button **Create offer**. That turns the lead into a deal, and the work continues under **Pipeline**. From then on, **Open deal** sits in the same place.

The lead itself stays and remains findable under [**All leads** ↗](https://app.indeal.ai/leads/all). It leaves [**Open leads** ↗](https://app.indeal.ai/leads/open) because the work there is finished.

## Lead lost, and what comes after

**Lead lost** is not deletion. The lead stays, keeps its **Lost reason** and appears in **All leads**. You can move it to another stage later if something changes.

## The most common mistakes

- **The stage sits on Qualify for too long.** The analysis then counts the lead as untouched even though you are on it.
- **Nobody switches to Discovery done after the meeting.** Then the deal is missing and **Pipeline conversion** on **Home** stays low.
- **A hopeless lead gets deleted instead of set to Lead lost.** The lost reason is gone with it, and nobody learns what went wrong.

## Next

- [Editing a lead](https://success.indeal.ai/hc/indeal/articles/editing-a-lead)
- [Lead views: Kanban and list](https://success.indeal.ai/hc/indeal/articles/lead-views-kanban-and-list)