The terms, A to Z
- Activity
- A logged interaction with a customer, such as a call, meeting or email.
- Automation
- A rule that does something for you when something happens, like creating a follow-up task when a new lead arrives.
- Contact
- A person you deal with. Contacts usually belong to a company.
- Company
- A business or organisation you work with. Some industries call these accounts, clients or sites.
- Conversion rate
- The share of leads or deals that move to the next step or are won.
- Custom field
- An extra piece of information you add to a record, like a service address or job type.
- Customer portal
- A private website where your customers can raise requests, follow progress and see what you share with them.
- Deal (or opportunity)
- A potential piece of work or sale you’re pursuing, with a value and a stage.
- Forecast
- An estimate of what you’ll win in a period, based on deal values and how likely each is to close.
- Help desk
- The place where customer requests (tickets) are received, owned and answered.
- Lead
- Someone who has shown interest but hasn’t been qualified yet.
- Lead source
- Where a lead came from, such as your website, a referral or an ad.
- Pipeline
- The stages a deal moves through from first contact to won or lost.
- Qualification
- Deciding whether a lead is a good fit and worth pursuing.
- Quote
- A priced offer for goods or services that the customer can accept.
- Saved view
- A list with filters and columns you’ve saved, like “Quotes waiting more than a week”.
- SLA (service level target)
- A promise about how quickly you’ll respond to or resolve a request.
- Stage
- One step in your pipeline, like “Quote sent” or “Approved”.
- Task
- A to-do with an owner and a due date, usually linked to a customer or deal.
- Ticket
- A single customer request tracked from arrival to resolution.
How the pieces fit together
A lead becomes a contact at a company once you know who they are. When there’s real work on offer it becomes a deal that moves through the stages of your pipeline. You send a quote; when it’s accepted the work begins. Later, when the customer needs help, they raise a ticket through your help desk or customer portal. Tasks and automations keep everyone on top of the next step.
Different industries use different words for the same thing. A tradie might say customers, sites and jobs; an accountant might say clients and engagements. Good CRM software lets you rename records to match. See how NovaSoft One does this for 19 industries.
Where to go next
New to CRM? Start with what a CRM is, then how to choose one and how to move from spreadsheets. When you’re ready, start free for up to two people.
Common questions
What’s the difference between a lead and a contact?
A lead is someone who has shown interest but hasn’t been qualified. A contact is a person you have a relationship with. Many CRMs convert a lead into a contact and a deal once it’s qualified.
Is a deal the same as a sale?
A deal is a potential sale. It becomes a sale when it’s won.
This guide is general information for Australian businesses, not legal, tax or financial advice. Check anything specific to your situation with a qualified adviser or the relevant government agency.