What happens at this stage

Lead-to-cash starts before a price is ever quoted. The lead stage decides which opportunities are worth pursuing and captures the facts every later stage depends on: who the buyer is, what they need, how they buy, and who approves the spend.

Most revenue problems that surface months later at invoicing or collections were created here, when a deal moved forward without a billing contact, a purchase order process, or an agreed scope.

Where it usually breaks

  • Deals reach finance without a billing contact, PO requirement, or legal entity name.
  • Sales qualifies on deal size alone, not on how long the client takes to pay.
  • CRM fields that billing needs are optional, so they stay empty.

Metrics to watch

  • Lead-to-opportunity conversion
  • Client lifetime value
  • Share of closed deals with complete billing data