Just because you have a prospect's contact information doesn't mean they're ready to hand over their credit card, or want to talk to you on the phone.

As difficult as obtaining a sales lead can be, it's just one step in the larger sales process.

Converting that lead into an actual sale is no easy feat and not all leads are created equal. 

So, how can you improve your chance of converting a sales lead?  This may sound basic, but identifying the who, what, where, why, and how the lead came to be is crucial in understanding the prospect's mindset, where they are in the sales funnel, and ultimately determine whether/how to engage the prospect. 

One key characteristic of a lead is whether it was generated online or offline. Needless to say, sales leads that are obtained in person versus those propagated online are different creatures, and should be treated as such.  

"Offline" and "online" are just two of the many lead attributes to consider. Take a look at our Online vs. Offline Leads infographic below (click on it for a larger version) to see the differences between online and offline leads.

Learn more about online and offline leads, lead conversion, how critical response time is, how inbound vs. outbound marketing impacts leads, and the avergae cost of a contact - view a larger version of the above infographic.

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