How to Track Leads in Notion Without Overbuilding (Case Study)

I recently built a lead tracking system in Notion for a client I found on Reddit.

He posted about a problem that’s honestly very common:

Leads were coming from everywhere, but there was no clear system to track them or follow up properly.

This is what he said he needed.

At the time, leads were coming from several places:

• LinkedIn (DMs, comments, post engagement)

• Newsletter replies

• Warm intros from his network

• Inbound inquiries like partnerships or speaking requests

The tools he was already using were:

• Notion

• Kit

• LinkedIn

• Calendly

• Slack

• a way to track where each lead came from

• visibility into where leads are in the process

• a simple mechanism to surface follow-ups

• views that make daily operations easy

• something a CEO could open and instantly understand

He wasn’t looking for a full-blown CRM.
He just wanted clarity.

Because there was no CRM in place yet, Notion made sense.

It was already part of his workflow, flexible enough to adapt, and fast to iterate on.
The key was not to turn it into a complex system that would slow everything down.

We focused on a single database that handles the essentials. Lead source, status, and follow-ups all live in one place, making it easy to see what’s happening at a glance.

The system does a few things well:

• tracks where each lead came from

• shows clearly where each lead is in the process

• surfaces follow-ups before things go cold

This wasn’t meant to be a full CRM replacement.
It was designed to solve one specific problem first, then leave room to grow only if needed.

The goal was a system that anyone, including a CEO, could open and understand in seconds.

Could this system be expanded later? Of course. More databases, automations, and reporting layers can always be added when there’s a real need.

But the goal here wasn’t complexity. It was to solve one specific problem without turning Notion into something bloated, slow, or painful to use.

The client was happy, and that’s what matters.

Before

• leads spread across DMs, email, Slack

• follow-ups easy to miss

After

• one clear system in Notion

• follow-ups surfaced before going cold

If you’re tracking leads in Notion, start simple. Solve the problem in front of you first, then iterate only when it actually helps.

That approach scales much better than trying to build everything at once.

This system works well out of the box, but every workflow is different.
I also design custom Notion systems based on how you actually work, not generic templates.

If you want something like this tailored to your setup, you can learn more here: