A "lead" is a marketing term used to describes a potential customer
"Lead generation" is one's ability to attract prospective clients or customers to your business and sales funnel. Leads generally will fall into 3 categories: cold, warm, or hot.
- cold leads - Are potential customers who have not yet interacted with your brand: either through disinterest or lack of exposure. Cold leads take the most effort to convert.
- warm leads - Show interest in your brand but have not yet completed a sale. These leads tend to need some nudging or reassurance.
- hot leads - Either have or are close to completing a sale. have converted to being customers by completing a sale
Someone who travels through your entire sales funnel but never had any intention of completing a sale is known as a "dead-end lead" because all that work lead to conversion, or sale.