Lead and prospect, are two figures that often tend to overlap despite having distinct roles.
In this article, we will shed light on the different terminologies to help you understand which players play a major role in the b2b buying stages. Knowing them will enable you to better master your marketing strategy and evaluate the actions that are really working.
Leads, Prospects, and Customers: what they are and how they differ
Leads, prospects, and customers represent users at different points in the sales funnel. The latter is a marketing model that illustrates the consumer’s path to purchase a good or service.
Recognizing the specific role of the user at each stage of the funnel–and their needs–is the first step in getting quality leads, generating sales, and maintaining relationships with them. In the b2b sales process, in particular, 3 main types of users are recognized :
What are Leads
Leads are users who have shown initial interest in your products and/or services. For example, they left their information (commonly: first name, last name, company email) in exchange for:
- newsletter subscription
- a technical e-book for download
- An interesting webinar for the industry, including complex
- an advantageous business proposal
Usually this data is collected through landing pages, Google Ads, forms on the site, the social media and other activities for lead generation, and then stored in the company database. They will be used to raise awareness of the brand, products and/or services offered, as well as cultivate relationships with potential buyers.
What are Prospects
Prospects represent active potential customers who have shown concrete interest with respect to your brand, or in a service and/or product you offer. They are at a decision-making stage aimed at purchase. They are users who have already initiated a dialogue with your company, for example:
- asking for a quote
- by participating in a free consultation
- haggling over the price of a product with the sales team
Who are the Clients
Customers are those who have already completed a purchase, but they need to be retained and retained in order to build a solid and lasting relationship. This will require investment:
- On the customization of offerings
- On access to exclusive services
- On constant after-sales support and communication
Leads and Prospects: how to turn them into Customers?
Leads and prospects manifestdifferent attention to your brand. Therefore, you need to work step by step, always respecting all stages of the buying process. For a lead to become a qualified contact, it is good to analyze who they are, whether they are on target with what you offer and whether they play an important role in the company’s decision-making process. It is then necessary to get their attention, perhaps by publishing articles on the blog or of reviews of other satisfied companies.
By doing so, users will understand what your distinctive features are and why your company could solve-better than others-their needs. Once converted into prospects you must, finally, lead them to purchase. Ideally, you should focus on personalizing proposals and cultivating relationships through:
- an active community
- tailored loyalty programs
- Up selling and cross selling techniques to propose complementary or superior services and/or products
- an excellent customer experience
Building strong relationships with potential customers is important, find out why and how to do it in our article:
Lead Nurturing: what it is and strategies to do it best
Trust the professionals at Isola to obtain and manage quality contacts
To get customers through leads and prospects interested in what you propose, your business needs integrated and differentiated strategies at the various stages of the customer journey.
A’digital marketing agency can help you plan a winning strategy to secure quality leads, manage them and follow them throughout the buying journey. At Isola we can devise concrete, targeted and customized actions for each stage to advance the buyer’s decision-making journey.
Learn how to attract leads and prospects perfect for your business
and how to convert them into Customers:
