Lead
prospective customerA lead is a potential customer who has left their contact details and permission to be contacted: a quote request, a guide download or a contact form. The lead is B2B marketing’s central intermediate product, the bridge from marketing to sales.
Good to know
Leads are not equal: someone requesting a quote is in a buying process, someone downloading a guide is still learning. That is why leads are classified by maturity, typically into marketing leads (MQL) and sales leads (SQL), with scoring automating the split.
A lead’s value halves fast: a lead contacted within the hour converts at a multiple of one called the next day. The lead process’s key metric is therefore not volume but response time and close rate, how many leads end up as deals.
IN PRACTICE
The lead’s path to a sale
Acquisition
Advertising, content and search channels produce the contact in exchange for value: a guide, a calculator or a meeting.
Qualification
Scoring and sales’ first contact separate buyers from students. The criteria are agreed between marketing and sales.
Nurture and close
Immature leads are nurtured with content and newsletters; mature ones move to sales within an agreed time.
PITFALLS
Two lead mistakes
Volume as the metric
A hundred cheap leads without a single deal is a cost, not a result. Lead channels are compared on the price of deals, not of leads.
The lead waits in a queue for days
Interest cools in hours. An agreed response time and an automatic first message keep the lead warm even when sales is busy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MQL and SQL?+
An MQL is qualified by marketing as interested, an SQL verified by sales as purchase-minded. The line is agreed together: typically need, budget and timeline.
How much may a lead cost?+
Deal margin times close rate gives the ceiling: with a 1,000 € margin and a 20 % close rate, a lead can cost up to 200 €.
Where do the best leads come from?+
Referrals and search channels, where the need is proven. Social campaigns produce cheaper but colder leads that need longer nurture.
How fast must a lead be contacted?+
Within the hour: speed multiplies both reach and conversion. An automatic confirmation buys time but does not replace the contact.
What happens to immature leads?+
A nurture flow: useful content through newsletters and automation until buying signals strengthen. No sales pressure before its time.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
