If you’ve ever found yourself deep in CRM configuration, wondering, “Why do I need both Leads and Contacts?”—you’re not alone.
In this video, Salesforce Yoda (aka Graham Bishoff) breaks down the bizarre origin story of Leads, why they’re still around, and what it really takes to move to a Contacts-only model.
Spoiler: It’s more complex than a checkbox setting.
Why Do Leads Even Exist?
Back in March 2000, Salesforce launched with the Leads/Contacts schema. Everyone else (looking at you, Zoho and Dynamics) just copied it. Then came marketing automation platforms (MAPs) that doubled down on the model—matching on email and reinforcing the Lead-to-Contact flow whether it made sense or not.
HubSpot eventually bucked the trend with a Contacts-only approach, but not without building a lot of custom scaffolding: lifecycle stages, scoring logic, marketing tags—the works.
Do You Really Need Both?
Short answer: usually, yes.
Leads provide a crucial filter—a way to separate the curious from the committed. They let Marketing gather data without flooding Sales with unqualified junk. Think of them as the holding tank for prospects that aren’t ready for a sales conversation yet.
But moving to a Contacts-only model isn’t impossible. It just takes:
-
Rigorous filtering and scoring
-
Agreement across teams on what “qualified” actually means (MQL, SAL, SQL—you know the drill)
-
Custom architecture to replicate what the Lead object does out of the box
Not sure how to define “qualified”? An Audit can uncover misalignment and give you a roadmap forward.
The Real Costs of Going Contacts-Only
Transitioning to a single-object model isn’t as simple as toggling a switch. It requires:
-
A deep understanding of your CRM and MAP integration
-
Months of configuration and data migration
-
A team that can handle the nuance across systems
At Cloud Connects, we’ve led clients through that process—and yes, it can work. But for most orgs, it’s just not worth the pain. Unless your team is highly sophisticated, sticking with Leads (and making them work for you) is usually the better call.
Our Take? Don’t Skip the Strategy.
Whether you’re considering a migration or just trying to clean up your current model, don’t go it alone. At Cloud Connects, we specialize in simplifying complexity and helping you get real ROI from your Salesforce stack—not just more dashboards and data fields.
Need help deciding whether to ditch Leads—or just make them less annoying? Let’s talk.
