Sales Lead

A Sales Lead in foreign trade refers to potential customer information or initial contact interest obtained through channels such as trade shows, B2B platforms, website inquiries, social media, and customer referrals. It typically includes company name, contact person, email, and a brief needs overview, but has not yet undergone qualification. Therefore, it is fundamentally different from a Sales Opportunity: a lead is raw, unfiltered information, while an opportunity is a lead that has been assessed through BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) and confirmed to have high closing potential. Use cases include: the marketing department collects leads and hands them to the sales team for follow-up, or salespeople proactively develop new customers. Notes: follow up promptly to avoid leads expiring; establish a Lead Scoring mechanism to prioritize; pay attention to data compliance (e.g., GDPR) and avoid mass spam emails that could lead to account suspension. Difference from an Inquiry: an inquiry is a specific request initiated by the buyer, usually indicating a certain level of intent and can be considered a high-quality lead; a lead may simply be a business card exchange or form submission with weaker intent.