HubSpot Lifecycle Stages

Lifecycle Stages in HubSpot: map your customer journey

When you get started with HubSpot, you'll soon encounter Lifecycle Stages. This built-in breakdown of the contact lifecycle is an important part of your CRM strategy and helps you manage leads and customers in a structured and consistent way. But what exactly are Lifecycle Stages, how do they fit into your inbound marketing and sales processes, and how can you use them effectively to get a better handle on your growth?

 

HubSpot Lifecycle stages

What are Lifecycle Stages?

In HubSpot, Lifecycle Stages are predefined statuses that indicate which stage of the customer journey a contact is in. Simply put, a Lifecycle Stage shows whether someone is, for example, a stranger (Subscriber), a lead, a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL), an Opportunity or already an existing customer. The format helps teams organize, filter and segment contacts so that each stage receives the appropriate attention, approach and follow-up.

The default Lifecycle Stages in HubSpot

HubSpot has a fixed set of Lifecycle Stages by default, each with its own significance in the customer journey:

  1. Subscriber
    These are people who have shown their interest in your content, for example by subscribing to your newsletter or blog updates. They are at the very beginning of the customer journey. The emphasis here is usually on providing value and increasing their engagement.

  2. Lead
    A Lead is a contact who has shown more interest than a simple subscription. Think downloading an e-book, participating in a webinar or filling out a contact form. They are not yet qualified by marketing or sales, but already show more interest than an average Subscriber.

  3. Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL).
    An MQL is a lead that your marketing team considers to be of high quality, based on such things as their behavior, interactions with content or certain criteria such as company size or industry. MQLs are leads that are ready for further nurturing and can eventually be passed on to the sales team.

  4. Sales Qualified Lead (SQL).
    A SQL is a lead approved by sales. This means that the sales team considers this lead a serious opportunity. SQL status is usually awarded after the sales team has reviewed the contact or after further qualification (e.g. using the BANT or MEDDIC method).

  5. Opportunity
    An Opportunity is an SQL that represents a real sales opportunity. Often an offer or proposal has already been made, or conversations are taking place to complete the deal. This stage is determined by sales and is a crucial stage in the sales process.

  6. Customer
    Once a deal is closed, the Lifecycle Stage changes to Customer. These are your current customers. Within HubSpot, you can segment this group for upselling, cross-selling or building their customer relationship with loyal customer programs, for example.

  7. Evangelist
    Evangelists are customers who are not only satisfied, but also actively recommend your brand, products or services to others. They play a valuable role in generating new leads through word of mouth.

  8. Other (or Unqualified).
    Sometimes you come across contacts that are not or no longer relevant to your business, for example because they do not meet the ideal customer criteria or do not appear to be interested. You can mark these contacts with a Life Cycle Stage as Other or Unqualified, keeping your CRM tidy and current.

    HubSpot Lifecycle Stages

 

Why are Lifecycle Stages so important?

Structure and consistency: Lifecycle Stages provide a common language within your organization. Everyone knows what is meant when you talk about an MQL, SQL or Customer. This makes internal communication and reporting easier and more effective.

Targeted Segmentation and Personalization: By segmenting your contacts by Lifecycle Stage, you can provide more relevant content and offers. A Subscriber has different needs than an Opportunity, and a Customer requires a very different approach than a Lead.

Clear workflows and automation: Lifecycle Stages are an ideal basis for setting up workflows. Think automatic email campaigns that nurture a Lead to MQL, or follow-up tasks for sales once someone reaches SQL status. The automated transition from one phase to another makes your marketing and sales processes a lot more efficient.

Better measurability and reporting: By neatly labeling contacts into the appropriate Lifecycle Stages, you can easily report on progress. How many MQLs were generated this month? How many SQLs were converted to Opportunities? This data helps you identify weaknesses in your funnel and take appropriate improvement actions.

Best practices for using Lifecycle Stages

  1. Define clear criteria
    Provide clear, measurable criteria for assigning a Lifecycle Stage. This will avoid confusion and ensure uniform application in your organization.

  2. Take advantage of automation
    Use HubSpot workflows to update Lifecycle Stages automatically. For example, as soon as a contact takes a specific action (such as filling out a particular form), HubSpot can automatically change the Lifecycle Stage from Lead to MQL.

  3. Keep your team informed
    Successful implementation of Lifecycle Stages requires involvement from both your marketing and sales teams. Make sure everyone knows what the stages mean, why they are important and how they are applied in day-to-day operations.

  4. Analyze and optimize continuously
    Using Lifecycle Stages is not a one-time action. Constantly monitor your metrics, evaluate your criteria and adjust your strategy as needed. This is how you keep the quality of your funnel high and keep responding to changes in the market.

Want to get started?

When you start using HubSpot, you’ll quickly encounter Lifecycle Stages. This built-in categorization of the contact lifecycle is a key component of your CRM strategy, helping you manage leads and customers in a structured and consistent way. But what exactly are Lifecycle Stages, how do they fit into your inbound marketing and sales processes, and how can you use them effectively to gain better control over your growth?

Want to learn more about Lifecycle Stages and how they can contribute to your organization? Get in touch with us—we’re happy to help you take your CRM and inbound marketing efforts to the next level!

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