To put it simply, a lead is a potential customer who is interested in your products or services but has not yet converted.
sales funnelIt is easier to determine where a lead is on their buying journey using the sales funnel model. The leads at the top of the funnel (the widest part) are those who are somewhat aware of your brand as well as the products and services you offer, and those in the middle of the sales funnel are more familiar with your brand and have expressed some interest in what you offer. They have also likely already engaged in some sort of communication with your business. Those at the bottom of the funnel (the narrowest part), are the ones who are most ready to buy.
Identifying where your sales leads are in your funnel will help you move them through the funnel with the right strategies where they are more likely to convert. Good lead generation not only involves strategies to convert leads in the middle and bottom of your funnel, but also to move those at the top of your funnel closer to the bottom.
To do this effectively, you must be aware of the type of sales leads you may encounter and how to move them closer to converting.