Move leads automatically with proposals

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OnboardMe can move a lead along your pipeline when something happens to their proposal. Send a proposal and the lead moves to "Proposal sent". The client opens it and the lead moves on again. If they decline, the lead can be marked as lost. When they accept, the lead is marked as won and becomes a client.

Why it helps

  • Your pipeline stays up to date without anyone dragging cards around.

  • Every automatic move is recorded, with a link to the proposal that caused it.

  • Win rates and time-in-stage figures in Insights are more accurate.

Accepted proposals always mark leads as won

When a proposal is accepted, OnboardMe turns its leads into active clients and moves each lead to a Won stage. This happens for every business, whether or not you've turned on the rest of the automation.

By default the lead goes to your first Won stage. To use a different one, pick it under When a proposal is accepted.

Turn on proposal automation

Owners and admins can set this up.

  1. On the Leads tab, click Manage options, then Proposal automation.

  2. Turn on Move leads when proposals are sent, opened, declined or cancelled.

  3. For each event, choose the stage the lead should move to, or leave it as Don't move.

  4. For When the client declines it and When you cancel a sent proposal, you can choose a Lost stage and a Lost reason to record on the lead.

  5. Click Save.

Proposal automation settings

Tip: Click Use suggested to fill in sensible stages from your own list, then adjust them before you save.

The events

Event

When it happens

Stages you can choose

When a proposal is sent

The first time a proposal goes to the client. Reminders and resends don't count.

Open stages

When the client opens it

The first time the client opens the proposal. Your team viewing it doesn't count.

Open stages

When the client declines it

The client declines the proposal.

Lost or Open stages

When you cancel a sent proposal

You cancel a proposal the client had already received.

Lost or Open stages

When a proposal is accepted

All signers have accepted, or you mark the proposal as accepted.

Won stages

The rules

  • Leads only move forward. For example, a lead already at your "opened" stage isn't moved back to your "sent" stage.

  • Won, Lost and On hold leads are left alone. The one exception is an accepted proposal, which always marks the lead as won.

  • Other proposals win. A decline or cancel doesn't mark the lead as lost while they have another proposal still in progress.

  • You stay in charge. You can still move a lead by hand at any time, and the next proposal event carries on from wherever the lead is.

  • Every lead on the proposal moves. If a proposal is for more than one lead, each one moves.

See what moved a lead

Open the lead and expand Stage history. Moves made by a proposal show the event and the proposal, for example Proposal sent: Tax return 2026. Click the proposal name to open it.

Stage history showing proposal-driven moves

Note: If a stage you picked is later made inactive or removed, that event stops moving leads, and the setting shows a warning until you pick another stage.

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