What you'll get
- 2 copy-ready blocks
- Spreadsheet-ready
- 1 table
- 5 min read
- Vetting sheet (tab-separated, paste into row 1)
- The 12 questions (send them in writing)
How to use it
- Step 1: Send the 12 questions in Part 1 in writing, before the proposal call rather than after it.
- Step 2: Record every answer on the sheet and ask for the evidence listed in Part 2.
- Step 3: Count the walk-away signs in Part 3. Two together ends the conversation.
- Step 4: Run the final checks before you sign, and file the sheet with the contract.
Are lead generation companies worth it? Sometimes. The vendors worth paying will answer hard questions in writing before you sign, and the rest go vague when you ask. This checklist gives you 12 questions to send, the evidence to ask for with each and six signs that say walk away.
Part 1: The 12 questions
Vetting sheet (tab-separated, paste into row 1)
# Question Their answer, in writing Evidence received VerdictThe 12 questions (send them in writing)
1. Who will work on my account, by name and role?
2. Can I meet those people before I sign?
3. Where does your contact data come from?
4. Will you work a list of accounts I approve?
5. What counts as a qualified meeting? Send me the written definition.
6. What do I pay before the first piece of outreach, and what do I get for it?
7. What are the term, the notice period and the exit?
8. What does the weekly report show?
9. Who owns the data, the domains and the conversation history when we stop?
10. What happens if the person on my account leaves or is moved?
11. Which two current clients in my market will take a reference call?
12. What would make you tell me this is not working?The order matters less than the medium. A vendor who answers all 12 in writing is already ahead of most of the market.
Part 2: The evidence to ask for
An answer is a sentence. Evidence is something you can check.
| Question | Ask for |
|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | A call with the named people, not only the salesperson |
| 3 | The source names, and how often records are refreshed |
| 4 | Sample research on two accounts from your own list |
| 5 | The definition as a contract attachment: role, fit, problem, timing |
| 6 | The first invoice in draft, with each line named |
| 7 and 10 | The clauses quoted, including the replacement wording |
| 8 | A real weekly report, redacted |
| 9 | The clause naming you as owner of data and domains |
| 11 | Two calls arranged within a week |
| 12 | A plain answer. Hesitation here tells you about every future review |
Part 3: The six walk-away signs
Any one of these deserves a hard question. Two together end the conversation.
- A meeting number promised before they have seen your market. Nobody can promise results on a list they have not researched.
- No named people. "Our team" means whoever is free that week.
- A setup fee with no named deliverable. You are funding their onboarding.
- "Millions of contacts" instead of named sources. That is a resold list your competitors also bought.
- References who will not take a call. Logos on a slide are not references.
- Silence on data, domains and history. When you leave, the relationships leave with them.
Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Quaywise sells warehouse software to named logistics accounts. Sam Carter has a proposal from a lead generation company and sends the 12 questions. Nine come back in writing. Question 3 is answered "millions of verified contacts", question 11 produces one client who declines the call, and the covering note repeats the meeting promise from the first call. That is three walk-away signs. Sam closes the conversation politely and keeps the sheet for the next vendor. All names and details are invented.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Asking on the call, not in writing. Spoken answers soften under pressure and vanish at renewal.
- Letting the salesperson answer for the delivery team. The people doing the work are the answer to half these questions.
- Taking a meeting count as reassurance. It rewards the easiest meetings to book, not the accounts you need.
- Skipping the reference calls because the deck looks right. Ten minutes with a current client beats an hour with a salesperson.
- Signing to a deadline. A discount that expires this week is itself a warning sign.
Check before you sign
- All 12 answers are in writing and filed with the contract
- The qualified meeting definition is a contract attachment
- You have spoken to two current clients yourself
- Ownership of data, domains and history is in a clause
- The term, notice and exit read plainly to a non-lawyer
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
Are lead generation companies worth it?
They are worth it when your market is broad, your sale is simple and the vendor can show who does the work, where the data comes from and who qualifies each meeting. They are rarely worth it when your revenue depends on a short list of named companies that deserve research, not volume.
How do I know if a lead generation company is legitimate?
Send the 12 questions in writing. A legitimate vendor answers them all, shows evidence and arranges reference calls within a week. The questions are not hostile; they are the ones a good vendor answers easily.
What if the vendor will not answer in writing?
Then you have your answer. A company that sells outreach for a living but will not put its own answers in an email is showing you how the relationship will run.
Read next
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