How do I make my first call?

Video Walkthrough

Once your leads are in Lineage, this walkthrough shows you how to work them: building a calling batch, dialing through your list, booking appointments, and keeping track of where you are.

Open a lead, pick which of your numbers to dial out from, click Call, and you're connected. This walks through the lead detail modal top to bottom so you know what every control does before you click Call.

When you'd do this

Once leads are uploaded and your phone numbers are registered in Spam Hammer. If your callback number isn't set yet, set it first — incoming returns will fail otherwise.

Step 1 — Open a lead

On the Leads page, click the underlined Name of any lead in the table. The lead detail modal opens as an overlay on top of the list. (Clicking elsewhere on the row doesn't open the modal — the name is the click target.)

Hovering a lead row also shows a small eye icon next to the name; the modal previews on click.

Closing the modal (the X in the top right, or Esc) returns you to the list with your scroll position preserved.

The modal has two panels side by side:

Left panel — Lead profile + dialer

Prev / Next buttons at the top to walk through your list without closing the modal
The lead's name as a heading
A Find duplicates link just under the name
A Status dropdown (currently shows whatever status the lead is in — Calling, New Lead, etc.)
A collapsible 0 calls section showing the call count and history for this lead
The dialer:
From dropdown — pick which of your Lineage numbers to dial out from
To field — pre-filled with the lead's phone number
Record call toggle (only visible if call recording is enabled on your account)
Call (Alt + C) — the big button that places the call
Two action buttons below the dialer: Appointments and Edit Lead
A lead-info block: Address, County, Timezone, Name, Lead Source, Date Received
An Attachments section with an Upload File button
A mini map showing the lead's pin

Right panel — Policies, notes, activity

A line at the top: "There's no policy associated with this lead yet. Add Policy" — clicking Add Policy opens the new-policy dialog (see Create your first policy)
Sticky Note — a free-form text area with an "Auto-saved" indicator. Use this for context you want to see every time you open this lead (allergies, household details, scheduling notes)
Add a note... — a separate input for per-event notes. Type and click Save to post the note as a timeline entry
An activity timeline below, showing past status changes, notes, and calls with timestamps and a Delete option on each entry

Step 3 — Pick your From number

In the dialer's From dropdown, pick which Lineage number to call out from. Each option shows the friendly name you set (e.g., "Texas long-distance") plus the phone number. Picking a From number with an area code matching the lead's area code typically lifts pickup rate.

The To field is pre-filled with the lead's phone number. You can edit it if you need to dial a different number for this lead.

Step 4 — Decide whether to record

If call recording is enabled on your account, the Record call toggle controls whether this specific call is recorded. Flip it off for any call where you need to skip recording — compliance-sensitive conversations, callbacks where the lead asked not to be recorded, etc.

If recording is disabled at the account level, the Record call toggle isn't shown. See Call recording and retention in Lineage for the account-wide setup and legal compliance notes.

Step 5 — Place the call

Click Call (Alt + C), or press Alt + C on the keyboard. The dialer rings out from your selected From number. When the lead answers, talk normally — Lineage handles the audio routing transparently.

To hang up mid-call, click the Hangup button (it replaces the Call button while a call is in progress) or press the hangup shortcut.

Step 6 — Update the lead after the call

After hanging up, capture the outcome immediately — don't wait until the end of the day to do it from memory.

Change status: click the Status dropdown on the left panel and pick the new state (Calling, Appointment, Customer, Dead Lead, etc.). Status changes are logged on the timeline automatically.
Add a note: for per-call context (what they said, what to follow up on), type into the Add a note... input on the right panel and click Save. The note posts as a timeline entry with your timestamp.
Update the Sticky Note: for lead-level context that should be visible every time you open this lead (scheduling preferences, household members, allergies), use the Sticky Note area at the top of the right panel. It auto-saves as you type.
Book an appointment: click Appointments on the left panel to open the appointment-booking flow for this lead.

Step 7 — Move to the next lead

Use the Prev and Next buttons at the top-left of the modal to walk through your list without closing and reopening the modal each time. This is the fastest way to dial through a batch.

Keyboard shortcuts

Alt + C — Call
Esc — close the modal

Common issues

"Call doesn't connect — I get silence."
Check that your callback number is set (Settings → Calling → My Callback Number) and that the From number you selected isn't carrier-flagged. If a Spam Hammer scan shows a flag on the From number, swap to a different one and try again.

"I clicked Call but nothing happened."
First call of a session sometimes needs a browser mic-permission grant. Allow microphone access in the address-bar prompt and retry.

"The lead's phone number looks malformed in the To field."
Lineage normalizes phone formats on display but uses the raw digits on dial. If the digit count looks off, edit the To field manually before clicking Call.

"I don't see the Add Policy section."
Add Policy lives at the top of the right panel as a one-line link. If the right panel is hidden on smaller screens, scroll it into view.

What's next

You're dialing. The next thing most agents want is a tighter pipeline view — customize Lead Statuses and Lead Sources so the status labels you pick after each call actually match how you work.

Updated on: 02/07/2026

Was this article helpful?

Thank you!