Definition
A prospect showing clear, immediate buying intent, replying with interest, asking pricing questions, requesting a call, who should be followed up with within hours, not days.
A hot lead isn't defined by fit alone, plenty of well-fitted ICP matches never engage. It's defined by an explicit signal that they're actively evaluating right now, which is exactly why response time on a hot lead matters more than on any other stage of the pipeline: the interest is real but perishable.
Where this comes from
Read the related term: Buying Signal