# What is Lead?

> A lead is a potential customer who has shown interest by getting in touch, such as calling, messaging or filling in a form, but has not yet booked or bought.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/glossary/lead
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-26

Also called: enquiry, prospect, lead generation, lead gen.

In sales and marketing, a lead is someone who might become a customer. For a local business, it is usually an enquiry: a call, a WhatsApp, an email or a quote request.

Not all leads are equal. A ‘qualified’ lead is someone in your area, wanting a service you offer, at a budget that works. Lead generation companies sometimes sell leads that turn out to be shared with several competitors, or not genuine at all.

Tracking where your leads come from, such as Google, your website, a directory or word of mouth, shows you which marketing is worth paying for.

## Why it matters for a small business

The whole point of a website and marketing is leads that turn into paid work. When someone quotes ‘more traffic’ or ‘better rankings’, ask how many extra leads that has produced. If you pay for leads directly, check whether they are exclusive to you or sold to several businesses at once.

**Example:** A roofer notes on every enquiry how the customer found them. After three months, it is clear most jobs come from Google and reviews, not the paid directory.