What is Lead?
A lead in Salesforce and sales terminology is a potential customer or prospect who has shown interest in a company’s product or service but has not yet been qualified as a potential sale. Leads are often the first step in the sales process and represent individuals or companies who could eventually become paying customers.
Key Characteristics of a Lead:
- Interest: The lead has shown some level of interest in your product or service, such as filling out a form on your website, attending a webinar, or subscribing to your newsletter.
- Unqualified: Leads have not yet been qualified, meaning it’s not yet certain if they are a good fit for your product or service, if they have the budget, or if they are ready to buy.
- Captured Information: Leads typically include basic contact information such as name, email, phone number, and company name.
Examples of Leads:
- Website Inquiry:Scenario: Sarah visits your company’s website and fills out a “Contact Us” form requesting more information about your software product.Lead Details:
Name: Sarah Thompson
Email: sarah@example.com
Company: ABC Tech
Lead Source: Website
Lead Status: New - Social Media Interaction:Scenario: Emily interacts with your company’s LinkedIn post by liking it and then messages your company page asking for more information about your new product.Lead Details:
Name: Emily Clark
LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/emilyclark
Company: Innovate Solutions
Lead Source: Social Media (LinkedIn)
Lead Status: New
Lead Lifecycle:
- Capture: Leads are captured through various channels such as web forms, emails, events, social media, cold calls, or referrals.
- Qualification: The lead is evaluated to determine if they have a need, budget, and authority to purchase. If qualified, they can be converted into an opportunity.
- Nurturing: Some leads may not be ready to buy immediately, so they are nurtured through targeted campaigns and follow-ups.
- Conversion: Once a lead is qualified, it is converted into an Account (company), Contact (individual), and Opportunity (potential sale) in Salesforce, allowing the sales process to continue.