Prospect

A potential customer that fits your ICP and has shown some level of interest or intent. Often passed from partner to vendor during lead-sharing.
Explanation:

A Prospect is a potential customer who fits your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and has demonstrated some level of interest or buying intent. In partner programs, prospects are often identified, nurtured, and then passed from the partner to the vendor through lead-sharing processes for further engagement and conversion efforts.

Key components of a Prospect often include:

  • ICP Fit: The prospect’s firmographic details (such as company size, industry, and location) align with the target audience your solution is designed to serve.
  • Intent Signals: Observable behaviors, such as downloading a whitepaper, requesting a demo, attending a webinar, or responding to outreach, that indicate interest.
  • Partner-Sourced Opportunities: Many prospects are surfaced through partner activities like referrals, co-marketing campaigns, or marketplace listings.
  • Qualification Process: Prospects are typically evaluated based on budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT) or similar frameworks before progressing in the sales funnel.
  • Pipeline Entry Point: A qualified prospect becomes an opportunity once they are vetted and show strong potential to move forward in the buying process.

Prospects are central to B2B sales and partner programs in SaaS, technology, and services industries. Effectively identifying, nurturing, and converting prospects, especially when sourced through trusted partners, directly impacts pipeline growth, revenue, and partner success metrics.

Example:
The partner submitted a new prospect who matched all three ICP criteria and requested a demo.

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