Leads in Business Explained

James Dooley: What is a lead in business today? I’m joined with Kasra Dash, so let’s jump straight into it. What is a lead in business? Kasra Dash: A lead is basically somebody that is interested in your service. A lead could be phone-based, a web form, or an email inquiry. In short, let’s say you’re a plumber and I have a leak, and I need you to fix it. That’s a lead. You’d have my information—email, phone number, and a brief description of my inquiry. James Dooley: Exactly. A lead is also known as an inquiry. It’s someone showing interest in your product or service. It can be a phone inquiry, email inquiry—anything that signals intent. From there, your goal is to present your services and convert that inquiry into a sale. Kasra Dash: A lead is like oxygen for any business. If you’re not getting leads, you don’t really have a business. The key is maximizing the amount of quality leads—not just quantity. James Dooley: Right, so now that people understand what a lead is, what is a real-time lead? Kasra Dash: A real-time lead is when someone inquires and you pick up immediately. It hasn’t been sitting there for days. It’s instant—whether it’s a call or email that goes straight through. James Dooley: What is an exclusive lead? Kasra Dash: If we’re competitors buying leads from an agency and I’m the only one receiving that lead, that’s exclusive. If we both get it, that’s a shared lead. James Dooley: What is a pay-per-lead model? Kasra Dash: It’s when you pay a lead generation agency for each inquiry they send. If you’re paying £10 per lead and you get 10 inquiries, you pay £100 that day. James Dooley: And what is an SEO lead? Kasra Dash: An SEO lead is generated from search engine optimization. These convert higher because the prospect is actively searching for what you offer. They’re inbound and ready to buy—unlike cold outreach. James Dooley: What about PPC leads? Kasra Dash: Those come from paid ads—sponsored listings at the top of Google or Bing. PPC and SEO leads are typically the highest converting because intent is strong. James Dooley: And social media leads? Kasra Dash: Anytime someone fills out a form on Facebook or a social platform from a paid ad, that’s a social media lead. James Dooley: I hope you liked the terminology. As Kasra Dash said, leads are the oxygen of a business. Every business needs a consistent flow of quality inquiries coming through daily. Relying on word of mouth alone is unreliable. You need consistency. Head to FatRank.com, go to the Contact page, and explore the different models we offer: pay-per-lead, PPC leads, SEO leads, and commission-based lead generation. If you’re looking to grow your lead flow, fill in the form and see what type of leads best fit your industry and service.