In sales, "leads" are names and contact information for people who you might be able to sell something to. These are usually people who have shown some interest in that product or service.

You can use the word "leads" to refer to:

• the information that you have about people
• the people who might be interested in what you're selling.

Leads can be:

• "cold" if the person doesn't expect to hear from you
• "warm" if the person has shown that they want to know more about your product or service
• "promising" if you think there's a good chance of completing the sale

There are also "leads" in other fields. In police or detective work, "leads" are possible clues that can lead to solving a case.