Different usages of “prospect”
SalesOdyssey link suggests that different companies do not use these terms interchangeably. Excerpt:
Why Marketing & Sales Use Lead & Prospect Differently
The main reason why both terms seem interchangeable is because of the separation between sales and marketing departments in larger corporations. The departments often have their own vocabulary and processes and do not see the big picture.
So, why is there a difference in the terminology?
For instance, if your company is marketing oriented, you will mostly hear about leads, alongside MQL and SQL. We found that it is within these companies that the term prospect can disappear or be used to designate a lead.
On the other hand, if your company is sales oriented, you will probably not hear about MQL and SQL. Leads are the starting point (what’s given to the sales reps), then you’ll hear about the terms “suspect”, “prospect” and “opportunity”.
Is it weird that both departments don’t use the same terminology?
YES!
Does it demonstrate the insufficient collaboration between the commercial and marketing departments?
YES!
The truth is all of these terms are relevant and complement each other.
Consistency between Marketing and Sales is key to an organization success. The more both departments collaborate the more likely you are to convert your leads in clients; no matter how you call the stages in between.