Direct answer
What client status labels should a freelancer use?
Use mutually exclusive labels that describe an observable workflow condition: New, Needs Review, In Conversation, Qualified, Waiting on Client, Proposal Sent, Follow-Up Due, Won, and Lost. Archive closed records separately. Each active label should have one entry rule, one exit rule, one next action, and one aging limit.
Status labels fail when they become vague summaries such as active, maybe, or important. A useful status tells another reviewer what has happened, what is blocking movement, and when the record must be checked again.
The Status Vocabulary
| Status | Use it when | Leave it when | Required next action | Aging rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | The inquiry was captured but has not been checked. | Minimum fit and context have been reviewed. | Review source, request, urgency, and contact route. | Review within one business day. |
| Needs Review | Important information is missing or fit is unclear. | The record can be qualified, declined, or moved into conversation. | List the exact missing fact and ask one focused question. | Escalate after two business days. |
| In Conversation | A discovery exchange or scoping discussion is active. | Fit is confirmed, the inquiry is declined, or an external answer is required. | Record the agreed next step and due date. | No record stays here without a dated next action. |
| Qualified | Fit, outcome, timing, and decision path are sufficiently clear. | A proposal is sent, work is accepted, or the opportunity is closed. | Prepare the proposal or agreed conversion step. | Move within two business days. |
| Waiting on Client | Progress depends on an answer, asset, approval, or decision from the client. | The requested input arrives or the follow-up date is reached. | Set a single follow-up date and name the missing input. | Review on the promised date, not continuously. |
| Proposal Sent | A formal scope, price, or offer has been delivered. | The client accepts, declines, asks for a revision, or the follow-up date arrives. | Record sent date, decision date, and next follow-up. | Review within the stated decision window. |
| Follow-Up Due | The planned waiting period has ended and an action is now due. | A follow-up is sent or the opportunity is closed. | Send one context-specific follow-up or close the record. | Resolve within one business day. |
| Won | The client accepted and the commercial handoff is confirmed. | The record moves to delivery or account management. | Confirm scope, start condition, owner, and billing handoff. | Terminal for the inquiry pipeline. |
| Lost | The client declined, the fit failed, or the opportunity expired. | The record is archived or a genuinely new inquiry is created. | Record one factual loss reason without speculation. | Terminal for the inquiry pipeline. |
Rules That Keep Labels Useful
- Assign exactly one active status to each inquiry.
- Store priority, source, service type, and confidence in separate fields.
- Do not create a new label for every exception. Put the exception in a note and keep the workflow state stable.
- Every non-terminal status must point to one owner, one next action, and one due date.
- Use anonymous record IDs in test files. Do not place names, email addresses, contracts, or sensitive client details in status labels.
How To Use The CSV
- Import or copy the labels into a spreadsheet, tracker, or CRM status field.
- Keep the label names stable for at least one review cycle.
- Review records that exceed the aging rule during the weekly pipeline review.
- Change the vocabulary only when repeated real records do not fit an existing condition.
Status is not priority. A high-priority inquiry can still be Waiting on Client. Keep urgency and workflow condition in separate fields.
Download The Template
The CSV contains the labels, workflow definitions, transition rules, next actions, aging rules, terminal flags, and privacy notes.