Glossary
Lead Generation Glossary
The 24 most important terms in the world of leads — defined briefly, in plain English. Each term links to its in-depth guide.
- Leadsales lead
- A potential customer who has shown interest in your product or service. An organic lead from a Facebook group is a public post from someone asking for a service — for example, "looking for a plumber in Austin." Full guide →
- Hot lead
- A lead whose request is fresh and active (posted in the last minutes or hours). Its close rate is far higher than a cold lead's because the person is still actively looking to buy now. Full guide →
- Cold lead
- A lead who showed interest in the past but isn't ready to buy right now, or whose request is old. It needs nurturing and follow-up over time before it will close. Full guide →
- Organic lead
- A lead that comes without paying for advertising — for example, from a public Facebook group post. Its cost per lead is far lower than a paid lead's. Full guide →
- Paid lead
- A lead acquired through paid advertising (Facebook Lead Ads, Google Ads). The cost per lead is higher and the quality varies. Full guide →
- Cost per lead (CPL)CPL
- Total spend on a channel divided by the number of leads it produced. It includes media budget, management fees, and tools — not just the ad cost. Full guide →
- Cost per acquisition (CPA)CPA
- The cost of each actual paying customer — cost per lead divided by close rate. This, not the price of a single lead, is the right metric for comparing lead channels. Full guide →
- Conversion rate
- The percentage of leads that took a desired action (reply, meeting, sale). A core measure of lead quality and how effective your sales process is. Full guide →
- Close rate
- The percentage of leads that became paying customers. A 20% close rate means one deal closes for every five leads. Full guide →
- Speed to lead
- The time between receiving a lead and making first contact. Responding within 5 minutes dramatically raises the odds of closing — the first to respond usually wins. Full guide →
- Lead funnelsales funnel
- The customer's journey from first contact to paying customer, in stages: awareness → interest → decision → action. Leads leak between stages when there's no follow-up. Full guide →
- Exclusive lead
- A lead sold to only one business. It costs more than a shared lead but closes at a far higher rate because there's no immediate competition for the same request. Full guide →
- Qualified lead (MQL)MQL
- A lead that's been filtered and identified as a real potential buyer — based on budget, need, decision authority, and timing. Full guide →
- Lead nurturing
- The process of building a relationship with a lead who isn't ready to buy yet — through follow-up, content, and contact over time — until they're ready to close. Full guide →
- ROIreturn on investment
- The ratio of profit from a marketing activity to its cost. Formula: (profit − cost) ÷ cost × 100. The master metric for a lead channel's profitability. Full guide →
- Purchase intentbuying intent
- How ready a person is to buy. A post like "need an electrician ASAP" signals very high purchase intent versus "thinking about a remodel someday." Full guide →
- Junk lead
- A worthless inquiry — wrong number, someone who doesn't remember leaving details, spam, or a contest entrant. Especially common with paid leads. Full guide →
- Landing page
- A dedicated page a visitor reaches from an ad or search, built for a single goal — usually to capture contact details or an inquiry.
- Lead magnet
- A free value offer (guide, calculator, consultation) designed to get a visitor to leave their details, turning them into a lead. Full guide →
- CRMcustomer relationship management
- A system for managing leads and customers — tracking every inquiry, status, and reminder. Keeps leads from falling through the cracks. Full guide →
- Lead automation
- Automating steps in the lead process — capture, alert, first response, and follow-up — so no inquiry is lost to overload or forgetfulness. Full guide →
- Facebook Lead Ads
- A Facebook ad format that collects customer details inside the platform with one tap. Convenient for the user, but it can produce lower-quality leads. Full guide →
- Facebook group leads
- Organic leads based on public group posts — people asking for a recommendation or service. A warm inquiry with high purchase intent and low cost. Full guide →
You know the terms — now get the leads.
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