---

Guest post by: Paul Johnson Become an Author

Tweet

---

---

© 2008 Paul Johnson. All rights reserved.

The leads marketing delivers to the sales team never seem good enough. Either the leads are "bad" and are wastes of a salesperson's time, or there are just not enough "good" ones. If sales had more good prospects, the company would have more sales. Perhaps sales and marketing could work together more successfully if all agreed on what is a lead and what is a prospect.

GOTTA WANT IT!

A lead wants what you have, pure and simple. Somehow they've gotten the idea that what you have will improve their situation, so much so that they're willing to raise their hand and identify themselves. You have succeeded in moving them from anonymity. They have "stepped into the light" and are willing to engage with you in conversation, if only temporarily. We describe people at this stage of the buying cycle as Engaged.

Sometimes this process reveals that we have a "bad" lead; these are people who don't really want what we are selling, but want something else from us, usually for free!

WILLING WALLET.

A prospect not only (1) wants what you have, but also has (2) ability to buy and (3) reason to buy now.

A true prospect can afford what you're selling. That means they have available -- or can get -- the budget needed to make the purchase. Plus they have the authority to make the purchase and sign the check.

A true prospect also has a reason to buy now. Perhaps there's an external compelling event that will require them to make a decision soon. Or perhaps they harbor an internal reason -- often emotional in nature -- that carries enough drive to induce them to open up their wallet and buy now.

SHOPPING? STOP IT!

Somewhere between leads and prospects we have shoppers. Those are buyers who want what you have, and (2) have the ability to buy, but no particular reason to buy today. Much sales (and marketing) energy is expended converting shoppers into buyers. Prospects are easier to convert, because we know they're going to buy from somebody, and soon.

You have a true prospect if you can answer "Yes" to these 3 questions:
1. Do they want what we have?
2. Do they have the ability to buy?
3. Do they have a reason to buy NOW?

The questions we choose to ask people who engage with us need to help us understand the answers to those 3 questions. We'll get more positive decisions with our selling efforts when we can establish that a lead truly is a prospect.

Related Articles

  FRANCHISE SELLING TIP: # 1
  Are You Wasting Sales Leads?
  How to attract more leads in online marketing?
  MLM Phone Leads Will Scare Someone, But It Shouldn't Be You!
  3 Good Reasons Marketing Should Qualify Leads Before Passing to Sales
  Small Business Leads to Keep You Going and Growing
  BNI And Other Stories: How one marketer uses networking clubs to find good leads
  You Cant Serve Everybody so Disqualify Most
  How Effective is Your Sales Cycle?
  Buying Lists and Booming the Leads
  Sales Success Tip-Think You Need More Leads? Think Again!
  You will have more prospects in your online business with an abundance mentality.
  Tough Times Sales Strategies: Part 2. 15 ways to Generate New Business NOW !!!
  What to do with a "cold" lead
  Sales Coaching Tip: Do Not Confuse Activity with Sales Results
  Stopping Before the Next Step WILL Cost You
  The New Generation of Lead Generation
  How to Get Clients to Your Website
  Everyone Is a Prospect
  How to Shorten your Sales Cycle

Related Forum Posts

Re: 70 Do Follow Social Sites
Re: 3 Ways to Grow Your Business in 2011
Re: Email Etiquette
Simple way to avoid Cold Calling
Pitch Like A Girl: How a Woman Can Be Herself and Still Succ

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Unblock your Sales Genius

SEO and the Entrepreneur

Easy To Earn Money with Home Based Business Ideas

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.