At a glance. Compare responsibility and evidence before price. Agree what happens before a meeting, during handover and after the first conversation.
Start with the gap in your own team
An agency can research target accounts, build contact lists, prepare outreach, qualify responses and arrange meetings. Some teams continue into proposals and negotiations; others stop at the introduction. The phrase “lead generation” does not define that boundary.
Decide whether you need more conversations, better qualification or help moving opportunities after the first call. That decision should shape the brief and the fee.
What a credible delivery plan covers
- Strategy: target organisations, decision-makers, markets, exclusions and a clear offer.
- Infrastructure: account access, CRM fields, sender identity, authentication, data handling and channel controls.
- Research: where records come from, how relevance is checked and how inaccurate data is corrected.
- Execution: who writes messages, handles replies, qualifies interest and agrees the next action.
- Reporting: a shared view of activity, quality, meetings, opportunities and sales, with agreed review dates.
Compare the commercial models
| Model | Why it can work | What to define |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | Pays for ongoing capacity and an agreed scope. | Deliverables, responsibilities, review points and termination terms. |
| Pay per qualified meeting | Links part of the fee to an accepted output. | Target fit, attendance, duplicates, cancellations and replacements. |
| Retainer plus performance fee | Combines operating capacity with an outcome incentive. | The outcome definition, attribution period, reporting and calculation. |
| Revenue share | May suit a broader sales partnership. | What counts as attributable revenue, when it is recognised and how it is reconciled. |
No model removes the need to check quality. A cheap appointment with the wrong person wastes sales time, while a higher retainer may or may not include the follow-through you need. Compare the total work and responsibilities.
Twelve questions for the discovery call
- Which documented projects are closest to our sector, market and sales cycle?
- What exactly qualifies as an accepted lead or meeting?
- Who will research accounts, write messages and handle replies?
- What will you need from our team before launch?
- Which systems and accounts will be used, and who owns them?
- How will you check contact permissions and channel requirements?
- How will the workflow connect to our CRM?
- What happens after the first meeting?
- Which metrics will we see, and how often will we review them?
- What happens if the initial target or message does not work?
- What are the minimum term, notice period and handover arrangements?
- When would you recommend that we do this in-house instead?
Look for evidence with a clear timeframe
A useful case study separates activity, qualified conversations, pipeline and closed sales. It also states the period and the client context. Anonymous claims with spectacular meeting counts are difficult to assess without those details.
For example, our Profood material separates 11 confirmed buyer meetings in the initial 90 days from more than €345,000 of orders over 12 months. Those figures describe one engagement; they are not a forecast for a new client.
Storm X’s collaboration page describes a 120-day pilot. Scope, timing, responsibilities and commercial terms for your project should still be set out in the written proposal.
Warning signs to address before signing
- Guaranteed sales or meeting volumes before the target and offer have been examined.
- A contract that does not define lead quality, ownership or handover.
- Reporting that stops at messages sent and contacts added.
- Unclear access to accounts, data and campaign history when the engagement ends.
- A broad claim that B2B contact details can always be used without checking the applicable rules.
Frequently asked questions
How much should an agency cost?
The cost depends on markets, research complexity, channels, staffing and how far the agency follows the sales process. Request a scoped proposal and identify any tools, data or media costs billed separately.
Is an internal team better?
It can be when you have the manager, time and repeatable process to support it. An agency can provide capacity or specialist work; compare the actual operating model rather than the label.
What if the pilot misses its targets?
Review the reasons together: target fit, offer, delivery, qualification and client follow-up. The agreement should make review, adjustment and exit arrangements clear.