What is the difference between a list, a prospect and a lead ?

 

 

 

I get many calls from marketers looking for data. Many people use the terms list, prospect and lead interchangeably. But, that could not be further from the truth.

 

The term list is the broadest. There are lots of people on a cold list; all kinds of people. In the “old days of spray and pray”, advertisers mailed to everybody and hoped that some of their efforts would pay off. Well, not everyone on a cold list is your prospect. The truth is that marketing to non-prospects can actually weaken your brand’s impact. Not only that, it’s a tremendous waste of time and money.

 

In lead generation, the key is to take that cold list and narrow down the possibilities to create a workable list of solid prospects. These prospects can be used for direct mail, telemarketing, email, or digital advertising.

 

Lead Generation needs to be a daily exercise.