Suspect

Definition

A suspect is an individual or organisation that fits the basic criteria for a potential customer but has shown little or no engagement with your marketing efforts. In lead generation, suspects are identified early on, before any serious interest or qualification. They need further vetting to determine if they can be advanced to prospect status or disqualified entirely.

Why Use

• Broadens the pool for future sales opportunities.
• Helps identify overlooked market segments.
• Supports structured and efficient lead qualification.
• Improves team focus by clarifying early stage leads.

Core Concepts

• Lead qualification process and criteria.
• Difference between suspects and prospects.
• Contact profiling and basic demographic fit.
• Stages of the sales funnel.

Examples

Scenario 1: A company compiles a list of attendees from a trade show who have not interacted further. Each attendee is considered a suspect until more engagement occurs.

Scenario 2: An IT manager at a target company is found on LinkedIn and fits the buyer profile, but has not responded to outreach. They remain a suspect.

Common Pitfalls

• Assuming all suspects will become prospects.
• Wasting time by not prioritising suspect qualification.
• Failing to define clear criteria for moving suspects forward.

See Also

See also: Prospect, Lead, Customer, Qualification.