How do you check that the leads a marketing agency reports are real?
Once a month, ask the agency for the list behind the count, not only the number, and match a sample against your own phone log, inbox and lead list. Reply to two or three of the people (by call or text only with their consent), look for duplicates, spam and people outside your area, and send a test through your own form. Then check that each reported lead has a source and an outcome. A mismatch is a reason to ask a question.
The monthly check
The related answer on what a marketing report should show says to ask for the list behind the numbers. This answer is what to do with it. As general advice:
- Ask for the list: for each lead, the date, how the person got in touch, a name or number, the source and the outcome.
- Match a sample from across the month against your own phone log, inbox and lead list. Each reported lead should trace to a real call, form or message you can find.
- Reply to two or three about their own inquiry and ask how they found you. Call or text only with the person's consent.
- Look for the same person twice, spam, and people outside the area you serve.
- Send a test through your own contact form and see whether it reaches your lead list with a source. Tell the agency it is a test, so it is not counted.
- Check that every reported lead has a source and an outcome of won, lost or still open.
What counts as a lead
Keep the definition from the related answer on the difference between a lead, a prospect and a qualified lead: a lead is someone who got in touch. A spam message is not a lead, and neither is a name on a bought list, which is a contact. The related answer on spotting spam and scam inquiries covers the signs.
What a mismatch may mean
A mismatch is a reason to ask, not proof of anything wrong; a different idea of what a lead is can be the whole cause. If answers stay vague month after month, treat that as information too.
| What you see | What it may mean | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Reported leads you cannot find in your records | The agency may count something you do not, such as a tap on a phone number, or log leads somewhere you cannot see | What counts as a lead, and where is the record for these? |
| The same person several times | Duplicates may be counted | Can duplicates be removed, and how are they handled each month? |
| Spam or people far outside your area | Spam may be counted, or the audience may be set too wide | What is filtered out? For ads, the related answer on fake ad clicks covers checking clicks. |
| Inquiries in your records that the report leaves out | A source may be missing or credited elsewhere | How is each source decided? |
| Most sources blank or unknown | The source may not be recorded when the lead arrives | Can it be tagged on arrival? The related answer on lead attribution explains why. |
Related answers
- What should a marketing report show a small business owner?
- What is the difference between a lead, a prospect and a qualified lead?
- How do you spot spam and scam inquiries from your website?
- Are you paying for fake or accidental clicks on your Google Ads?
- What is lead attribution, and why does a small business need it?
Lead generation and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.