Lead vs Prospect vs Opportunity
These three words describe one person at three steps of a sale. A lead showed interest, a prospect is a lead you checked and found to fit, and an opportunity is a prospect in active talks, recorded as a deal. Mixing them up fills your list of open deals with people who are not close to buying.
Lead
A lead is a person or business that showed interest in what you sell and left a way to reach them, such as a phone number, before you check if they can buy.
Prospect
A prospect is a lead you have checked and found to fit: they need what you sell, can decide and pay, and want it soon. BANT is one checklist for this.
Opportunity
A sales opportunity is a qualified prospect in active talks, recorded as a deal with a value, a stage and a chance to close, which can be high or low.
Showed interest and left a way to reach them
A lead you checked: need, decision, budget and timing fit
A prospect in active talks, recorded as a deal with a value, a stage and a chance to close
Answer the question they asked
A short checking conversation
Meetings, a proposal and negotiation
A checking call
A meeting about a specific purchase
Proposal, then contract
| Definition | Showed interest and left a way to reach them | A lead you checked: need, decision, budget and timing fit | A prospect in active talks, recorded as a deal with a value, a stage and a chance to close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales involvement | Answer the question they asked | A short checking conversation | Meetings, a proposal and negotiation |
| Typical next step | A checking call | A meeting about a specific purchase | Proposal, then contract |