As a noun, a prospect is the possibility that something will happen, or a person who might become a customer or candidate. As a verb, to prospect means to search for something valuable, like gold or business opportunities.
From Latin *prospectus* 'a view, outlook', from *prospicere* 'to look forward' (*pro-* 'forward' + *specere* 'to look'). It started with the idea of a view into the distance.
Prospects are things you can 'see ahead' in your mental landscape, even if they’re not real yet. Gold prospectors and sales prospectors are doing the same thing: scanning the horizon for hidden value.
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