Sales leads are potential customers or organizations that have shown interest in a companys goods or services. They can be obtained through various methods such as advertising, trade shows, direct mailings, third parties, and other marketing efforts. The marketing department is typically responsible for lead generation, while the sales department is responsible for pursuing and closing leads.

The information captured in a sales lead can vary from a persons name and email address to a broader view of the potential buyer, including information on the potential buyers role in their company and an anticipated purchasing time frame. A companys lead generation efforts and its approach to dealing with leads can significantly affect its success in the marketplace.

Factors that determine the quality of a sales lead include the accuracy of the contact information, the incentive used to motivate the prospect, and whether the prospect was aware of the sales opportunity at the time they responded.

Its important to note that a sales lead is not the same as a sales prospect. A lead is at the start of the journey and may be interested in a product or service, but the business would need to examine and qualify the potential new client further to determine their intent and interest. A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is a lead that has been verified by marketing teams and also approved by sales teams. It is someone that a salesperson can connect with and start the selling process.

Overall, the goal should be to progress a sales lead through the pipeline to become a sales prospect, and its about sales and marketing aligning and working together. Businesses have to manage the lead data on different platforms because most CRM systems are only sales-specific. Therefore, its essential to pick a CRM thats efficient enough to provide value to sales and marketing.