Lead generation glossary.

A lead generation model where the outbound team books a specific date and time for a meeting — rather than simply passing a confirmed callback lead. The prospect commits to a diary slot rather than agreeing to receive a call. Appointment setting typically costs more per output than a callback lead model. For a direct comparison of both approaches, see our article on lead generation vs appointment setting.

The average revenue generated from a single closed sale. A critical input for calculating whether a lead generation campaign is commercially viable — the higher the average deal value, the more that can be justified on acquiring each lead. Financial services, legal, and technology businesses typically have high average deal values; home improvement and trades vary widely by trade type.

The total pool of businesses or individuals that could potentially become customers. In outbound lead generation, the addressable market defines the upper limit of a campaign's prospect list. A tightly defined addressable market produces better-qualified leads; a market that is too broadly defined produces high volumes of poorly qualified ones.

A commercial model where a business sells its products or services to other businesses rather than to individual consumers. Outbound lead generation for B2B campaigns targets specific companies and decision-makers within those companies. See our article on B2B vs B2C outbound lead generation.

A commercial model where a business sells directly to individual consumers. B2C outbound lead generation typically targets homeowners or individuals rather than businesses. Home improvement, consumer financial services, and healthcare are common B2C outbound sectors.

The document or conversation that defines the parameters of an outbound lead generation campaign — including the ideal prospect profile, target geography, sector, decision-maker type, and qualification criteria. A good brief is the single biggest factor in lead quality. See our guide on how to brief a lead generation agency.

The process of generating qualified leads from businesses and their decision-makers — rather than from individual consumers. B2B outbound campaigns target specific companies by sector, size, and geography, and qualify the relevant decision-maker rather than the general public. See our article on B2B vs B2C outbound lead generation.

A prospect who has agreed to receive a call from a specific business. In the Go2Leads model, every lead is a confirmed callback lead — the prospect has spoken with the outbound team, expressed genuine interest, and explicitly agreed to take a call from your sales team.

An unsolicited outbound phone call to a prospect who has not previously expressed interest and is not expecting contact. Distinguished from a qualified callback lead follow-up, where the prospect is expecting the call and has already expressed interest.

A prospect who has been identified as potentially suitable for a product or service but has not yet expressed any interest. Not to be confused with a warm lead or a qualified callback lead, which both involve confirmed interest.

The percentage of leads that result in a desired outcome — typically a sale, a booking, or a next step. Conversion rate is a key metric for evaluating the commercial return from lead generation spend. See our article on why leads aren't converting.

The total spend on lead generation divided by the number of leads received. A useful metric but incomplete on its own — cost per lead should always be evaluated alongside conversion rate and average deal value to calculate cost per acquired customer. See our article on how much lead generation costs in the UK.

The total spend on lead generation divided by the number of customers acquired. The most useful measure of lead generation ROI. A £60 lead that converts at 20% has a CPA of £300. A £40 lead that converts at 10% has a CPA of £400. Higher cost per lead does not necessarily mean higher cost per customer.

See Briefing (Campaign Brief).

The percentage of qualified leads that result in a closed sale. Distinct from conversion rate, which may refer to any desired next step. Close rate is the most commercially meaningful conversion metric — it directly determines whether a lead generation campaign produces a positive return. See our article on why leads aren't converting if your close rate is lower than expected.

The individual within an organisation who has the authority to make or approve a purchasing decision. In B2B outbound campaigns, identifying and reaching the relevant decision-maker is a key part of the qualification process.

Technology used to automate outbound phone calls. AI diallers and robodiallers automatically dial numbers and connect calls to agents. Go2Leads does not use automated diallers — all calls are made by real people who understand the campaign brief.

A lead that is delivered to only one business and is never shared or resold. All Go2Leads leads are exclusive. Contrast with shared leads, which are sold to multiple businesses simultaneously.

The call made by your sales team to a qualified callback lead. How quickly and how well the follow-up is handled has a significant impact on conversion rates. See our guide on how to follow up a warm lead.

An inbound lead generated when a prospect fills in a contact form on a website. Form fills indicate some level of intent but require your team to make an outbound follow-up call, and quality varies widely depending on the source of the traffic.

UK and EU data protection legislation that governs how personal data can be collected, stored, and used. Professional outbound lead generation for business contacts in the UK is conducted under the legitimate interests basis of UK GDPR, and consumer outbound respects the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) register.

Outbound lead generation for private healthcare businesses — dental practices, aesthetic clinics, physiotherapy, hearing care, domiciliary care, and private GP services. Healthcare campaigns require a professional, sensitive approach that confirms genuine interest in a specific private service without using misleading health claims or high-pressure techniques. All consumer healthcare campaigns screen data against the TPS register. See our full sector guide on healthcare lead generation.

Outbound lead generation for trades and home improvement businesses — windows, doors, roofing, solar, extensions, kitchens, bathrooms, and driveways. One of the highest-volume outbound markets in the UK, and one where lead exclusivity matters most: comparison sites deliver the same homeowner to multiple installers simultaneously, whereas an exclusive outbound callback lead is confirmed for your business alone. See our dedicated guide on home improvement lead generation and our article on lead generation for trades businesses.

A page on a website that acts as a navigational and topical centrepiece for a group of related pages — linking outward to individual location, sector, or article pages while also receiving links from them. Hub pages build topical authority by signalling to search engines that a site covers a subject in depth.

Lead generation that attracts prospects to come to you — through SEO, content marketing, paid advertising, social media, or referrals. Contrasted with outbound, which involves proactively contacting prospects. See our comparison of outbound vs inbound lead generation.

A behavioural indicator that a prospect may be in the market for a product or service — such as a recent job posting, a company announcement, or a search query. Inbound leads typically carry existing intent signals. Outbound creates intent through the qualifying conversation.

A prospect who has been identified as potentially interested in a product or service. The definition varies widely — from a raw contact record at one end to a fully qualified callback prospect at the other. The quality of a lead depends entirely on how it was generated and what qualifying process was applied.

The process of identifying and qualifying potential customers for a business. See our article on what outbound lead generation is for a full explanation of how the process works.

The process of building relationships with prospects who are not yet ready to buy — through email sequences, content, follow-up calls, and other touchpoints — until they are ready to make a purchasing decision.

A measure of how closely a lead matches the ideal prospect profile and how likely they are to convert into a customer. Determined by the rigour of the qualification process applied before the lead is delivered. See our explanation of what makes a lead qualified.

The number of leads generated over a given period. Higher volume does not always mean better results — qualification quality has a greater impact on revenue than volume alone. See our article on how many leads a business actually needs per week.

Outbound lead generation for solicitors and law firms — covering conveyancing, personal injury, employment law, wills and probate, commercial legal, and family law. Each practice area requires a different qualifying conversation and different qualification criteria. See our dedicated sector guide on legal services lead generation.

In the property sector, a lead from a landlord who owns one or more investment properties and is open to speaking with a letting agent about property management services. Landlord leads are particularly valuable for letting agencies — a landlord with multiple properties who switches management represents a significant recurring revenue relationship. See our sector guide on property lead generation.

The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer over the entire duration of the relationship. LTV is the most important factor in determining the maximum justifiable cost of acquiring a lead. A financial services client worth £3,000 per year over five years has an LTV of £15,000 — making a £100 lead cost trivial by comparison.

A technology business model where an IT service provider manages a client's IT infrastructure on an ongoing basis, typically for a monthly fee. MSPs are one of the strongest performing categories for B2B outbound lead generation — the prospect pool is well-defined (businesses of 10–200 employees without an in-house IT function) and the qualifying conversation is direct and testable. See our sector guide on technology lead generation.

The proportion of the addressable market a business has acquired as customers. Outbound lead generation is one of the most effective tools for increasing market penetration quickly — particularly in a new geographic area or sector where a business has no existing presence or reputation.

A lead that has been assessed by a marketing function and deemed likely to become a customer based on engagement with marketing content — a downloaded guide, a website visit, a form fill. Distinct from a sales qualified lead (SQL) which has been assessed by the sales team. In outbound lead generation, the distinction is less relevant because qualification happens before the lead reaches your team.

A prospect who agreed to a scheduled appointment or call but did not attend. No-show rates are a significant challenge for appointment setting models — a booked meeting that does not happen wastes a specific slot in a salesperson's diary. Callback lead models carry lower no-show risk because the follow-up call is made proactively by your team rather than waiting for the prospect to initiate. See our comparison of lead generation vs appointment setting.

Revenue generated from new customers — as opposed to revenue from existing client renewals, upsells, or cross-sells. Lead generation campaigns are almost always focused on net new revenue, which is why the cost of acquiring each lead must be evaluated against the lifetime value of the new customer relationship, not just the value of the initial sale.

The process of responding to a prospect's concerns, hesitations, or reasons not to proceed. Effective objection handling treats objections as information rather than rejection — asking clarifying questions to understand the real concern and addressing it directly.

The process of proactively contacting potential customers — identifying prospects, making contact, and qualifying interest — rather than waiting for prospects to find you. See our full article on what outbound lead generation is.

The initial contact made with a prospect as part of an outbound campaign — whether by phone, email, or another channel. Phone outreach is typically the most effective channel for qualifying genuine interest.

Outbound B2B lead generation for accountants, HR consultants, management consultants, marketing agencies, and other firms that sell expertise to businesses. The most important challenge in professional services outbound is brief precision — a broad brief produces leads that seem plausible but do not convert. A tight brief specifying the exact type, size, and situation of the ideal client produces leads worth pursuing. See our sector guide on professional services lead generation.

Outbound lead generation for estate agents (vendor leads), letting agents (landlord leads), property developers and investors (motivated seller leads). Each type requires a different qualifying conversation and qualification criteria. Timing is critical in property — the window between a homeowner considering a sale and committing to an agent is short, and outbound is the way to be in the conversation at exactly the right moment. See our sector guide on property lead generation.

UK regulations that govern direct marketing by electronic means, including telephone calls. Consumer telephone marketing must respect the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) register. B2B telephone marketing operates under separate provisions.

The set of active prospects at different stages of the sales process — from first contact to closed deal. A healthy pipeline has prospects at every stage simultaneously. See our guide on how to build a sales pipeline from scratch.

A business or individual who has been identified as a potential customer but has not yet been contacted or expressed interest. Distinguished from a lead, which implies some level of qualification or expressed interest.

A precise description of the ideal customer for a business — including their sector, geography, size, decision-maker type, and any specific characteristics that indicate a good fit. A sharp prospect profile is the foundation of an effective outbound campaign.

The process of assessing whether a prospect is a genuine potential customer — based on agreed criteria including sector, geography, decision-maker status, and expressed interest. Qualification separates leads worth pursuing from contacts worth moving on from.

A prospect who has been contacted by an outbound team, has expressed genuine interest in a product or service, and has explicitly agreed to receive a call from your business. The standard that every Go2Leads lead meets. See our full explanation of what a qualified callback lead is.

The specific conditions a prospect must meet before being confirmed as a lead. Agreed with the client before the campaign begins and applied consistently to every prospect contacted. Examples include sector, geography, business size, property ownership, and decision-maker status.

Outbound lead generation for staffing agencies, executive search firms, and specialist recruiters — targeting hiring managers and business owners with a current or upcoming vacancy need. The qualifying conversation confirms a genuine hiring need and the prospect's authority to engage a recruitment agency, rather than relying on a prospect actively searching for a recruiter. See our sector guide on recruitment lead generation.

The commercial return generated from a lead generation campaign relative to its cost. Calculated by comparing the revenue attributed to leads from the campaign against the total campaign spend. A positive ROI requires that the average deal value and conversion rate are high enough to justify the cost per lead. Our article on how much lead generation costs in the UK covers how to evaluate this properly.

A lead delivery model where confirmed leads are passed to a sales team immediately upon qualification — rather than being batched and sent at the end of the day or week. Go2Leads delivers every lead in real time to a private Google Sheet the moment it is confirmed. Real-time delivery is critical because the prospect's interest is highest immediately after the qualifying conversation.

The length of time from first contact with a prospect to a closed sale. Sales cycles vary from days (home improvement) to weeks or months (B2B professional services). Understanding your sales cycle is important for pipeline planning and revenue forecasting.

The complete set of active prospects at different stages of the sales process — from first contact to closed deal. A healthy sales pipeline has new leads entering at the top consistently, prospects progressing through qualification and proposal stages, and deals closing at the bottom. Businesses that treat lead generation as a continuous weekly activity rather than a reactive one maintain healthier, more predictable pipelines. See our guide on how to build a sales pipeline from scratch.

Outbound lead generation for Software as a Service businesses — targeting the right decision-maker (business owner, IT Manager, or relevant department head depending on company size) with a relevant, specific product proposition. SaaS campaigns benefit from precise ICP definition: the narrower and more specific the ideal customer profile, the higher the lead quality and conversion rate. See our sector guide on technology and SaaS lead generation.

The framework used by an outbound team to structure qualifying conversations. A good lead generation script is not a rigid word-for-word document — it is a framework that defines the opening, the qualifying questions, and the ways to handle common responses, while allowing the caller to adapt naturally to each conversation. See our article on what makes a good lead generation script.

Outbound lead generation for solar panel installers, battery storage, heat pump, and renewable energy businesses. Solar lead generation works best when qualification is based on genuine technology interest rather than grant availability — prospects motivated primarily by government incentive schemes tend to produce lower-quality customers than those with genuine interest in reducing their energy costs. See our sector guide on solar and renewables lead generation.

A lead that is sold to multiple businesses simultaneously. The prospect receives calls from multiple companies competing for their attention — which drives conversion rates down and creates a poor prospect experience. All Go2Leads leads are exclusive, not shared.

B2B outbound lead generation for SaaS businesses, managed IT service providers, cloud services companies, cyber security firms, and other technology businesses targeting the SME and mid-market. The key challenge in technology lead generation is ICP precision — the range of businesses that could theoretically benefit from a technology product is enormous, but the range that will actually buy at the right price and on the right timeline is much narrower. See our sector guide on technology lead generation.

A UK register that allows consumers to opt out of unsolicited marketing calls. Businesses conducting consumer outbound calling must screen their prospect data against the TPS register before making contact. Go2Leads screens all consumer data against TPS as standard.

A measure of how comprehensively a website covers a specific subject area — relevant to how search engines rank content. Building topical authority in outbound lead generation is one of the goals of the Go2Leads Insights section.

The specific characteristic or combination of characteristics that differentiates a business from its competitors in the eyes of a prospect. In outbound lead generation, the USP needs to be communicable in a short outbound conversation — if it takes five minutes to explain, it will not land in a cold call. Clarifying a business's USP is one of the most important parts of building an effective campaign brief.

In property, a lead from a homeowner who is considering selling their property and is open to speaking with an estate agent about arranging a valuation. Vendor leads are among the highest-value lead types for estate agencies — each instruction won is worth considerably more than a single commission. See our sector guide on property lead generation.

The fundamental trade-off in lead generation. Higher volume campaigns produce more leads per week but typically at a lower average quality — the prospect profile is broader and the qualifying criteria less stringent. Higher quality campaigns produce fewer leads but with a closer fit to the ideal customer profile and a higher conversion rate. The right balance depends on your sales team's capacity and your average deal value.

A prospect who has already expressed some level of interest in a product or service — distinguishing them from a cold lead or raw contact. A qualified callback lead from Go2Leads is a warm lead: the prospect is expecting your call and has confirmed interest.

Go2Leads' commercial structure — campaigns run weekly, leads are delivered weekly, and billing is weekly. No contracts, no minimum terms, stop any time. The weekly model aligns incentives: the campaign only continues if it is producing results worth the spend.