Mistake #1: Poor Data Quality & Verification
The Problem: Purchasing leads without verifying accuracy. Studies show 25-40% of B2B data is inaccurate within 12 months.
Case Study: SaaS Company Wastes $180,000
A mid-market SaaS company purchased 10,000 leads at $18 CPL from a vendor without testing. Within 2 weeks, sales reported 40% of emails were bouncing and phone numbers were invalid. They had wasted $180,000 on unusable data.
Root Cause: No sample testing before bulk purchase, vendor didn't verify data quality.
The Solution:
- Always request 50-100 sample leads before committing
- Have your sales team validate accuracy and make contact attempts
- Verify data sources and update frequency
- Look for vendors with >95% accuracy guarantees
- Use email verification tools before outreach
Mistake #2: Compliance Violations (TCPA, CAN-SPAM, State Laws)
The Problem: TCPA violations can result in fines up to $500-$1,500 per call. CAN-SPAM violations: $43,280 per violation. Compliance violations create legal liability and reputational damage.
Case Study: $2.1M TCPA Settlement
A B2B telemarketing firm reached out to contacts on the National Do Not Call registry. They received TCPA litigation resulting in a $2.1M settlement plus attorney fees.
Prevention: Scrub lists against Do Not Call registry, maintain consent records, respect opt-outs immediately.
The Solution:
- Use vendors who verify TCPA/CAN-SPAM compliance status
- Scrub lists against Do Not Call registry before calling
- Maintain detailed consent records and opt-out tracking
- Work with legal counsel on compliance procedures
- Implement written compliance policies for your team
- Use compliant email templates with unsubscribe links
Mistake #3: Inadequate Lead Scoring
The Problem: Sales teams waste time on poor-fit leads. Studies show teams spend 30% of time on unqualified leads when scoring is missing or poor.
The Solution:
- Develop explicit lead scoring model aligned to ICP
- Score on fit (company characteristics) and engagement (interest level)
- Define clear SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) criteria
- Automatically route high-scoring leads to sales
- Regularly review and adjust scoring model
Mistake #4: Bad Vendor Selection
The Problem: Choosing vendors based on price alone, without evaluating data quality, compliance, or integration capabilities.
The Solution:
- Follow structured evaluation process (see Platform Selection guide)
- Request vendor references and check with 3+ customers
- Run pilot tests with 100+ sample leads
- Verify compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
- Negotiate performance guarantees and SLAs in contract
Mistake #5: Poor Lead Nurturing
The Problem: 50% of leads are qualified but not yet ready to buy. Without nurturing, you lose these prospects forever.
The Solution:
- Build automated email nurture sequences for different ICP segments
- Create educational content addressing specific pain points
- Use marketing automation to score engagement
- Move engaged prospects to sales at right readiness level
- Track nurture effectiveness with clear KPIs
Mistake #6: Budget Waste & Attribution Problems
The Problem: Without proper attribution, you don't know which channels and tactics actually generate customers. This leads to budget misallocation and wasted spending.
The Solution:
- Implement UTM tracking on all campaigns
- Use CRM to track lead source through to close
- Calculate CAC and LTV by channel
- Review performance monthly and adjust budget allocation
- Use multi-touch attribution models for accurate channel credit
Mistake #7: Quality Assurance Gaps
The Problem: No process to identify and fix problems with lead quality, deliverability, or process execution.
The Solution:
- Implement monthly lead quality reviews
- Track bounces, invalid data, and unresponsive leads
- Get sales feedback on lead quality and relevance
- Audit vendor performance against agreed SLAs
- Create escalation process for quality issues
Don't Let These Mistakes Cost You Revenue
GreedLeads vetted partners maintain strict data quality and compliance standards to ensure leads that actually convert.
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