Lead ≠ Buyer
Lead ≠ Buyer
Sounds obvious, right?
Yet many salespeople treat every contact as a client.
Then they wonder — “why didn’t they buy?”
Who’s who
-
Potential client — matches our ideal profile,
but we haven’t contacted them yet. -
Lead — has shown interest,
but we still don’t know how serious it is. -
Buyer — a qualified lead who completed the journey.
Lead qualification stages
Understanding where the person stands
means understanding how to act next.
IQL — Information Qualified Lead
Left their contacts for something free — a guide, a quiz, a “lead magnet”.
They’re curious. Marketing job well done.
MQL — Marketing Qualified Lead
Showed active interest — clicked the ad, joined the chat, responded to outreach.
Time for sales to step in.
SQL — Sales Qualified Lead
Sales confirmed fit and intent.
Now we’re talking about a potential buyer, not just a lead.
Whose job are cold calls?
Personal opinion:
Cold calls belong to marketing.
They open doors, spark interest,
but they don’t close deals.
Three levels of buyer qualification
- Organizational — the buyer wants to confirm we’re the right company.
- Capability — they must be able to actually use and benefit from the product.
- Decision — can they sign, decide, or approve?
Sales responsibility
Qualification isn’t paperwork —
it’s craftsmanship.
The art of fitting the product to the person.
And that art belongs only to the salesperson.
A lead is a possibility.
A buyer is the result of mastering it.