7 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a B2B Lead Generation Partner

Hiring the right partner to help with B2B lead generation can be a game-changer—or a major headache if you pick the wrong one. 

With so many options out there, it’s easy to feel a little lost. Everybody promises they’ll flood your pipeline with leads, but how do you know who’s worth it?

Before you sign anything, make sure you’re asking the right questions. These will help you figure out who’s legit and who’s just good at sales talk.

Here’s a quick guide to the 7 questions you really need to ask before you hire a b2b linkedin lead generation agency.

1. How Exactly Do You Find and Qualify Leads?

You don’t want just a random list of emails—you want real people who might want what you’re selling. Big difference.

When you talk to an agency, ask them to walk you through their lead generation process.

How do they decide who’s a good prospect? Are they just scraping LinkedIn, or are they putting in the work to find people who fit your ideal customer profile?

A solid lead generation agency should have a clear, smart approach that’s all about quality, not just pumping up your numbers.

2. Who’s Reaching Out to Prospects?

This one’s huge. Some agencies will hand off the outreach work to freelancers or third parties you’ve never heard of. Others have their in-house team who knows what they’re doing.

If you care about making a good first impression (and you should), find out exactly who’s going to be talking to your potential customers.

Agencies that offer sdr services usually have trained reps who specialize in this kind of thing—starting conversations and booking meetings without sounding like a robot.

3. Do You Personalize Your Outreach?

No one likes getting those obvious copy-paste emails. ("Hey [FirstName], just checking if you saw my last message...")

Good outreach feels personal. It shows the sender took 30 seconds to learn about you before hitting send.

So ask: how much personalization do they do? Is it just basic stuff like using a name and company, or are they digging a little deeper to make their message relevant?

If you’re hiring a b2b linkedin lead generation agency, you want them to treat each prospect like a real human, not just another number.

4. Can You Share Any Real Success Stories?

It’s one thing to talk a big game. It’s another thing to show receipts.

A trustworthy agency should have real case studies or client stories it can share. Better yet, ask if you can talk to a couple of past clients directly. A quick 10-minute chat will give you way more insight than a polished sales pitch ever could.

And if you’re still shopping around, you can check out different lead generation companies to see how they compare.

5. What Metrics Do You Track and Share?

If you’re going to spend good money on lead generation, you should know what you’re getting in return.

Ask them what numbers they track. Are they just counting how many emails they send? Or are they tracking things that actually matter—like meetings booked, response rates, and conversion rates?

Also, how often will you get updates? Weekly? Monthly? Make sure they’re transparent about the results, even if things aren’t perfect (because let’s be real—nothing ever goes 100% perfectly).

6. What Happens If the Leads Aren’t Great?

Even the best agencies are going to miss the mark sometimes. That’s just part of the game.

The important thing is how they handle it. Will they replace bad leads? Will they tweak their approach based on your feedback?

Ask them straight up: “What happens if the leads aren’t a good fit?” You want a partner who’s focused on making it right, not making excuses.

7. What Makes You Different From Other Lead Gen Agencies?

Last but not least: why them? There are tons of agencies out there doing lead generation. What makes this one different?

Maybe they have a unique targeting system, better messaging strategies, faster turnaround times—whatever it is, they should be able to explain it without sounding like a buzzword generator.

You deserve better than “we’re the best” with no real proof. A good agency should be able to show you exactly why they’re worth the investment.

Make the Best Decision for Your Business

At the end of the day, picking the right lead generation partner is a big deal. It’s not just about filling up your CRM, it’s about starting the kinds of conversations that turn into revenue.

Take your time. Ask the tough questions. Trust your gut. The right partner will make you wonder why you didn’t do this sooner.