Lead

Someone who might become a customer but has not yet been qualified.

Example

A name from a conference badge scan.

Counting raw leads as progress is how a pipeline becomes fiction. Qualification is the only thing that makes a lead real.

Qualified lead — A lead confirmed to have the problem, the budget and the authority to act.
Sales pipeline — All your live opportunities, organised by stage, with a value and an expected close date.
Prospecting — Finding and contacting people who match your ICP.