Types of leads
- Marketing qualified lead (MQL): engaged enough, and a good enough fit, for marketing to hand over.
- Sales qualified lead (SQL): checked by sales and ready for a direct sales conversation.
- Cold, warm and hot leads: an informal way of describing how ready someone is to buy.
- Inbound and outbound leads: people who came to you, versus people you contacted first.
How to generate leads
- SEO and content that bring in people searching for your services
- Google Ads and social ads that send traffic to focused landing pages
- Useful offers, such as a free audit, quote, checklist or trial
- Simple forms, click-to-call buttons and chat on your website
- Referrals, reviews and partnerships
From lead to customer
Respond quickly, because leads cool down within hours. Score leads to prioritize the best ones, nurture the rest with helpful emails, and track which sources bring leads that actually become customers, not just the most leads.
Lead example
A visitor reads a guide to kitchen renovations, downloads a cost calculator by entering an email address and later requests a visit. The first step made them a subscriber, the second a lead and the third a qualified lead. The company tracks all three, and sees which pages and ads bring the most visit requests, not just the most downloads.
How to qualify a lead
- Do they have the problem you solve?
- Do they have the budget?
- Can they decide, or can they introduce you to the decision-maker?
- Do they need it soon?
- Record the answers in your CRM and score the lead.
Lead mistakes
- Counting every form fill as equal, whether a student or a buyer.
- Chasing quantity and ignoring lead quality.
- Slow follow-up. Reply quickly, often within minutes for hot enquiries.
- Buying contact lists, which breaks privacy rules in many places.
Leads FAQs
What is the difference between a lead and a prospect?
A lead has shown interest. A prospect has been checked and fits your target customer. See lead nurturing and demand generation.
How do I measure lead quality?
Track how many leads become customers. See cost per acquisition and CRM.