Before a company can sell its products or services it needs to find potential customers that are interested in them. A lead is a someone that has indicated an interest in a company’s product or services in any shape or form. Leads can come from a range of sources including industry contacts, an email list, participation in a survey or even the dreaded marketing cold-call, among many other methods.
Lead generation marketing is the starting point for a sales process that transitions from a customer’s initial interest to a making the sale. It is a form of inbound marketing in which potential customers discover the business through a marketing channel, respond to a ‘call-to-action’ in which they express further interest and is then directed to a web page that is designed to capture their personal details and other information (often in exchange for something of value to them). This information is then used by a sales team for later contact with the prospect in which they progress the sale process.