# 12 questions to ask a lead generation company before you sign

From DealGate (https://d-gate.io/blog/comparing-uk-b2b-leadgen-companies). Free to copy and share. DealGate is not a lead generation company and has no affiliation with any agency.

| # | Question | Good answer | Red flag |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | What exactly counts as a lead or a meeting? | A written definition: job title, company size, and a meeting held, not just booked | "Anyone who replies" |
| 2 | Who owns the data and the conversation history? | You do, exportable at any time | They keep it, or you get a PDF summary |
| 3 | Will you log in to my LinkedIn account? | No | Yes. LinkedIn's User Agreement says you must not share log-in credentials (https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement) |
| 4 | What volumes will you send from my name per week? | A specific, modest number you agree in writing | "As many as it takes" |
| 5 | Can I see every message before it goes? | Yes, with approval before sending | "We use proven templates" |
| 6 | What's the minimum term and notice period? | Monthly, or a short pilot | 12 months with no break clause |
| 7 | How are no-shows handled? | Not billed, or replaced | Billed as delivered |
| 8 | What's your UK GDPR / PECR basis for contacting my prospects? | A clear answer that separates corporate subscribers from sole traders, citing ICO guidance | Silence, or "it's B2B so anything goes" |
| 9 | Which tools do you use? | Named tools, and how they use them | "Proprietary" with no detail |
| 10 | Can I speak to two current clients? | Yes, with contact details | Only written testimonials |
| 11 | What happens to the lists when we stop? | You keep them, or they're deleted, in writing | They're reused for other clients |
| 12 | How do you report? | Raw data you can check, plus a summary | Dashboards only, no raw data |

ICO direct marketing guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/direct-marketing-and-privacy-and-electronic-communications/