渤海琴师今天看到了销售系统中的一个字段“リードNo.”，不知何意，但通过记录值“LD****”推测应为英文单词“Lead”。
遂开始求证其真正含义，又发现了与其联系紧密的另一个单词“Prospect”。
In a sales context, a "lead" refers to contact with a potential customer, also known as a "prospect".
Depending on the organisation, the definition of the term "lead" may vary. For some companies, a "lead" is a contact already determined to be a prospective customer, whereas other companies consider a "lead" to be any sales contact. But what remains the same across definitions is that a "lead" will potentially become a future client. Sales teams therefore have a responsibility to convert a maximum amount of leads to maintain a good conversion rate.
在销售领域，“lead”指的是与潜在客户的联系，也被称为“prospect”。
根据组织机构的不同，“领导”一词的定义可能会有所不同。对于一些公司来说，“lead”是已经确定要成为潜在客户的联系人，而其他公司则认为“lead”是任何销售联系人。但是在不同的定义中保持不变的是，“lead”将可能成为未来的客户。因此，销售团队有责任转换最大数量的“leads”，以保持良好的转换率。
此处“lead”应理解为“潜在客户”，但并未区分出其与“prospect”的差别。
A prospect is often confused as a lead. A lead is an unqualified contact. Any potential client or customer you meet that hasn't been qualified as a prospect is a lead. In the sales process, you gather leads first, qualify them into prospects, and then move them through your sales funnel or process.
“prospect”经常被混淆为“lead”。“lead”是不合格的联系人。如果你遇到的任何潜在客户都不符合“prospect”的标准，那就是“lead”。在销售过程中，你首先要收集“leads”，确认他们符合“prospect”的要求，然后通过你的销售渠道或流程将他们转移出去。
“lead”是“prospect”的前一阶段，相当于所有能搜集到的潜在客户，而“prospect”是大量“lead”中有明确购买意向的潜在客户。
“leads”经特定条件过滤后得到“prospects”，因此，数量上“prospects”＜“leads”。
