{"id":17907,"date":"2022-10-24T05:58:18","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T02:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snov.io\/blog\/?p=17907"},"modified":"2025-06-25T13:13:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T10:13:15","slug":"leads-vs-prospects-vs-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snov.io\/blog\/leads-vs-prospects-vs-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Leads Vs Prospects Vs Opportunities: How Knowing The Difference Can Boost Your Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to sales, there are a lot of terms that can seem confusing at first. For instance, what’s the difference between a lead, a prospect, and an opportunity? Do you need to worry about these terms?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as you start working in sales, you’ll realize (or your sales coaches will make you realize) that these three words must be differentiated. Let’s find out why it\u2019s vital for salespeople to draw the line between a lead, a prospect, and an opportunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I suggest we start with definitions.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a lead?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A <\/span>lead <\/b>is someone who has shown interest in what you’re selling but hasn’t bought anything yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

They may have filled out a form on your website, attended one of your webinars, or downloaded one of your white papers. But it doesn\u2019t mean that they will necessarily become prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n

To become prospects, leads should meet the criteria you set for your ideal customer profile, such as geographic location, company size, or industry, so they should go through a more in-depth <\/span>qualification process<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what is a prospect?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A <\/span>prospect<\/b><\/a> is someone who has expressed an interest and is actively considering your product or service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They<\/span> meet your target market criteria, have the means to purchase your product or service, and, crucially, have the authority to make the buying decision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To achieve sales success, you should pursue leads and prospects until they become opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And what is an opportunity?<\/span><\/h2>\n

An <\/span>opportunity<\/b> is someone qualified as a prospect who you believe would be interested in buying from you.<\/span><\/p>\n

This potential customer has the need or desire for your product or service and is thus worth pursuing. They might not have outright said they’re interested in what you’re selling, but certain <\/span>buying signals<\/span><\/a> indicate they could be a potential customer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leads, prospects, and opportunities: What\u2019s the difference?<\/span><\/h2>\n

As you might have noticed, it can be tough to tell the difference between a lead, a prospect, and an opportunity at first sight because their meanings look similar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet the difference exists.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A lead is the very initial stage of your (maybe) future customer, and they remain the leads until they are qualified as prospects, that is your (maybe) future customers who meet certain criteria. A prospect, in its turn, might be considered an opportunity in the following cases:<\/span><\/p>\n