What Counts as a Lead? How to Separate Qualified Leads From Robocalls

Picture a monthly marketing report with a big number at the top: 147 leads! Then look at what's inside it. You may find robocalls, solar telemarketers, a supplier calling about an invoice, and someone looking for a company two states away with a similar name.

You'd never count a job that way. A homeowner waving at your truck isn't a job. A signed contract is a job. Leads should be counted the same way.

Our rule is simple: a lead counts only when it's a first-time contact, from a real person with a relevant problem, inside your service area, for work you actually do. Run last month's report through that filter and the qualified number is usually 40 to 70% of the raw one. That stings once, and then it changes everything, because now you can steer: you can compare channels side by side, budget against reality, and know what a booked job actually costs you.

That's why we report qualified leads only. Not because the smaller number is fun to present, but because it's the only number you can build a growth plan on.

We've written up the whole methodology (the four-part checklist, the channel-by-channel math, what a real lead should cost in your industry, and the questions to ask your agency this week) as the full guide in our Learning Center.