| Dear Coach: Is prospecting the same as marketing? Coach Says: Sometimes. Most people use the word "prospecting" to refer to marketing efforts that humans do directly, themselves; such as cold calling. Marketing also covers things such as direct mail, or advertising. Sure, humans get that going, but then they sit back and wait for response. Dear Coach: How about lead, versus prospect, versus referral? Coach Says: What if I refer a prospective lead to you? tee hee hee. To prevent frustration and mix-up, I recommend you define these words for yourself, or for your work group if you've got one. However…danger, Will Robinson! If you take this step, please don't use these words to differentiate how "hot" a prospect is. Use qualifying to do that. |