What does a "good lead" look like?

Your outreach is only as good as the leads you’re sending it to.

A good lead isn’t just someone who might be interested. A good lead is someone who fits your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), has buying power, and cares about the problem you solve. Here’s how to spot a good lead for cold outreach:

1. They fit your ICP like a glove

This isn’t just about job titles or industry - it’s about firmographics, technographics, and trigger events.

• Firmographics: Company size, revenue, location, funding stage

• Technographics: Tools they use (e.g., if you integrate with HubSpot, they better be using it)

• Triggers: Recently hired a new VP of Sales? Just raised a Series A? Those are gold.

Leadsforge lets you describe your ICP in plain language and get highly relevant leads - no filters or clunky dashboards. All in a simple, easy chat.

2. They have a real reason to care

Your solution should solve a real pain for them. If you're offering outbound automation to a 1-person agency, you’re wasting everyone’s time.

Ask yourself:

• What problem does this persona wake up thinking about?

• Is that problem urgent enough to spend time (and money) fixing?

3. They have the right role & influence

You want to talk to the person who can say "yes," or at least “let me introduce you to the right person.”

That might be:

• The decision-maker (e.g., Head of Growth, RevOps, Founder)

• The influencer who drives internal discussions (e.g., SDR Manager)

Avoid blasting generic lists - know why this person makes sense.

4. You can personalize beyond “saw your LinkedIn”

If you can’t find anything specific to say about them, they’re probably not a good lead.

Look for:

• Shared connections

• Recent posts or activity

• Company news or initiatives

• Signs of pain (e.g., job postings that signal a scaling sales team)

Great personalization starts with relevant, researchable leads.

5. They’re reachable

You can’t close what you can’t contact. You need:

• A valid email address (not some info@ inbox)

• A LinkedIn profile that confirms their role

• Optional: Phone number for multi-channel touches

A “good” lead is one that matches your ICP, feels the pain you solve, has decision-making power, and is reachable. Anything less is noise. Quality > quantity, always.

Want to get a sneak peek of how Leadsforge will help you generate leads that actually convert?