What is required for a lead to be eligible for a customer journey in Dynamics 365?

For a lead to be eligible for a customer journey in Dynamics 365 Marketing, it is essential for that lead to be associated with a contact record. This association ensures that the lead can receive personalized communications and will be tracked appropriately throughout the customer journey. In Dynamics 365 Marketing, customer journeys are designed to interact with contacts, which represent individual people, allowing for a more effective marketing approach.

Having a linked account record can enhance the relationship and provide additional context about the organization's structure and the lead's associated business, but it is not a primary requirement for eligibility in a customer journey. A lead may exist without an associated account record and still participate in journeys, as long as there is an associated contact record to drive personalized marketing actions.

This distinction is crucial for understanding how the system structures its marketing capabilities and why the connection to a contact is the vital component in initiating customer engagement through the customer journey process.