Prospect Generation in sales is the process of identifying and attracting potential customers who may be interested in buying a product or service. It involves finding and qualifying leads that can be nurtured into sales opportunities.
Synonyms: lead generation, customer prospecting, sales prospecting, potential customer identification

Prospect generation is crucial because it builds the foundation for a successful sales pipeline. Without a steady flow of potential customers, sales teams struggle to meet their targets and grow the business.
Sales teams use various methods to generate prospects, including online marketing, networking, referrals, and cold outreach. The goal is to gather contact information and assess interest to move prospects through the sales funnel.
Common examples include attending trade shows to meet new contacts, using social media to attract leads, and running email campaigns to engage potential buyers.