Generating leads, and more importantly, high-quality ones, is exhausting.

Yet, lead generation is critical for business growth.

The quality of your marketing and sales funnel is only meaningful if you generate enough qualified leads. Your revenue will decrease if your plan fails. 

Collaborating with an expert B2B lead generation agency can boost your progress and prevent avoidable hurdles.

Although hiring a lead generation company is a terrific idea, you must be sure it’s the right decision. Here’s what you should know before hiring one.

1. Be precise about your goals

Before hiring a B2B lead generation agency, first of all, identify your lead generation goals. 

What are your top objectives? For example, do you want to raise brand awareness or generate more leads?

The more precise your objectives are, the easier it is to narrow the search.

Include numbers to be exact with your specifications. 

Having a clear goal for future leads allows you to explain what your company wants to achieve with the agency’s help.

2. Do your market research

After knowing your goals, take your time to conduct market research to find a suitable agency for your business. 

Examine the followings:

• Which agencies specialize in your niche?

• How much experience do they have in generating leads? 

• What do their past clients say about their services?

• How strong and reliable does their portfolio look?

In addition, examine the case studies of every agency on your list. This way, you can reduce your options to just a few agencies to contact.

3. Set your spending limit

Do you know 53% of marketers spend more than half of their marketing budgets on lead generation strategies? 

Considering this statistic, you must establish a budget. 

How much money can you afford to spend on lead generation?

Before signing the contract, set a reasonable budget that matches your goals and priorities. It will further assist you in narrowing your choices and locating an agency that falls within your budget.

4. Know about the agency’s work process

Ask about their process when hiring a B2B lead generation agency. 

For example, 

• Search engine optimization, social media marketing, blogging, PPC advertising, and other methods agencies use to generate leads. First, ask the agency which tactics they utilize to generate leads.

• Several agencies also provide tracking, reporting, and assistance. Know if the agency offers such additional services.

• A professional lead generating business requires a wide range of technological tools to automate, regulate, and track its actions. Ask the agency about it to understand their way of working. 

• Know the estimated time for them to provide you with desired results.

• Understand how the agency defines success to give you a good start.

These inside inquiries are critical markers of the agency’s efficiency and whether or not the money you will pay will be worthwhile.

5. Go deeper to know their credibility

Take ample time to carry out thorough research, regardless of how reliable the agency that piques your interest may seem or how impressive its track record is.

• Investigate the agency’s previous clients with their current reputation via third-party reviews or comparison sites. If possible, contact them with any queries.

• If the agency has worked with one of your close competitors, assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether you still want to proceed.

Of course, don’t just believe what their selected clients say; rely on your judgment. 

6. Ensure they obey data protection laws

Data protection shields information against loss by utilizing backup and recovery. It is essential to avoid both internal and external threats. 

Therefore, the agency you’ll hire should comply with the data protection regulations, such as the GDPR in Europe or the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States.

Inquire with the agency about their processes to ensure the outreach is legal. Also, confirm that they’ll treat your company’s data legally and take all essential precautions to protect it.

7. Understand their pricing variations

Price is an important factor when hiring a B2B lead generation agency. 

Although charges for lead generation services vary greatly depending on various aspects such as company size, lead qualification level, reputation, industry, experience, etc. However, to know what to expect, understand their plans and prices in detail.

8. Ensure they offer a foolproof contract

Have a written contract before outsourcing your lead generation. From terms and conditions to cost, ensure the agency precisely demonstrates everything in the contract.

It protects both parties and ensures that everyone is on the same page from the start.

Tip: Collect a referral 

You can ask for referrals if you know someone who has previously worked with a lead generation agency. It can be a terrific way to identify an agency without browsing for hours.

Related: What are the two main types of lead generation businesses?

Now that you know the crucial things to consider before hiring a lead generation agency, do the needful to find a trusted agency. In addition, use your own experience and expertise to identify a suitable one to grow your business.