Below is an overview of Leads, Prospects and Opportunities.


Leads

Leads live in the Web Connect database, separate from the P21 database so they don't create clutter in P21 and aren't converted to a real Prospect until they are properly qualified and only then do they move to P21.

A lead is the name of a company or a person. They might be on a list your company purchased. Or they might be on a list of people who attended your webinar, downloaded your white paper or that you had a quick encounter with at a trade show. They haven’t yet risen to the level of being a prospect because you can’t tell from their activity whether they are a prospect. To find that out, you have to pick up the phone and call them.


Prospects

A prospect is a person or company that has the kind of goals or needs around which you can create value. If you call a lead and they don’t have these kinds of goals or needs, they are not a prospect. You have to disqualify them if you cannot create value for them, or if they will never perceive the value you create.


Opportunities

In order for a prospect to have an opportunity to pursue, they have to agree that they have something that they want to change and they are considering you as a potential partner in helping them make that change. That change might be around a goal, need, product or service. Or it might be helping them to take advantage of some future-oriented opportunity. But unless they agree that they are going to explore change and consider you, you still have a prospect but no opportunity--at least not yet.