How to verify leads for better ROI and sales growth

To ensure the quality of your leads, it’s crucial to verify them. Lead verification helps you identify genuine prospects and filter out unqualified or fraudulent contacts, saving both time and resources.  

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of lead verification, how it differs from lead validation, the different types of lead verification, and the benefits it brings to your business. 

What is lead verification?

Lead verification is the process of confirming that the information provided by a lead is accurate, valid, and trustworthy.

This process ensures that the contact details, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other personal information, belong to real people who are genuinely interested in your product or service.

Lead verification helps businesses avoid wasting time on fake, outdated, or irrelevant leads and instead focus on high-quality prospects that are more likely to convert. 

For example, if a user fills out a contact form on your website, lead verification tools can check if the email address provided is real, active, and has not been used for spamming purposes.

This step ensures that your sales team can focus on genuine opportunities rather than chasing after dead ends. 

Lead validation vs lead verification: what's the difference?

While lead verification and lead validation are often used interchangeably, they refer to slightly different processes.

Understanding the distinction can help you implement both practices more effectively in your lead management strategy. 

• Lead verification: As mentioned earlier, lead verification is about confirming the accuracy and authenticity of the information provided by a potential lead. It focuses on ensuring that contact details are valid, up-to-date, and belong to real people. 

• Lead validation: Lead validation goes a step further by assessing whether a lead meets specific criteria that qualify them as a good fit for your business. This involves not just checking the accuracy of their contact information but also evaluating their intent and suitability for your product or service. For instance, a valid lead might be someone who fits your ideal customer profile based on demographics, industry, or purchasing behaviour. 

In short, lead verification ensures that a lead is real and reachable, while lead validation determines whether that lead is genuinely interested in and qualified for your offering. 

What are the different types of lead verification?

There are several methods businesses can use to verify leads, each focusing on different aspects of the lead’s information.

Here are some of the most common types of lead verification: 

1. Email verification 

Email verification is one of the most widely used methods of confirming leads.

This process checks whether the email address provided by a lead is valid, active, and capable of receiving messages.

Email verification tools can also identify disposable or temporary email addresses often used by individuals who have no intention of engaging with your business. 

2. Phone number verification 

Phone verification involves confirming that the phone number provided by the lead is accurate and belongs to a legitimate contact.

This can be done through SMS verification, where a code is sent to the phone number, or via a quick automated call.

Verifying phone numbers ensures that your sales team isn’t wasting time trying to reach invalid or fake numbers. 

Unbiased Pro incorporates SMS lead verification into it's platform, ensuring genuine, reliable, top-tier quality leads for your firm.

Learn more: how to identify and manage low quality leads effectively

3. Address verification 

Some businesses may also require physical addresses for shipping products or sending direct mail.

Address verification tools help confirm that the address provided is valid and properly formatted.

This is especially useful for companies involved in e-commerce or services that require physical delivery. 

4. Social media verification 

Social media profiles can also be used to verify leads.

Checking a lead’s social media activity helps validate their identity and gives businesses insights into their interests and engagement.

Social media verification can also reveal whether the person has a real presence on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or X, further confirming their authenticity. 

5. IP address verification 

IP address verification is another useful method, particularly for online businesses.

By tracking a lead’s IP address, you can determine whether their location matches the information they’ve provided.

It also helps identify suspicious or fraudulent leads that may be using proxies or fake locations to hide their identity. 

6. Lead scoring 

Lead scoring involves assigning points to a lead based on various data points such as their behaviour, demographics, and interactions with your brand.

A higher lead score indicates that the lead is more likely to convert. While lead scoring isn’t a direct form of verification, it helps identify qualified leads that are worth pursuing. 

What are the benefits of verifying your leads?

Verifying leads may take some extra effort, but the benefits it brings to your business make it well worth the investment.

Here are some key advantages of lead verification: 

1. Higher conversion rates 

Verified leads are more likely to convert into paying customers because you’ve ensured they are real, engaged, and interested in your product or service.

By focusing on quality over quantity, your sales team can spend their time on leads that have a higher chance of conversion. 

2. Improved ROI 

Lead verification helps improve the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing campaigns.

When you eliminate fake or unqualified leads from your pipeline, you avoid wasting resources on leads that are unlikely to generate revenue.

This means your budget is spent more efficiently on campaigns that target genuine prospects. 

3. Increased sales productivity 

Only 56% of B2B companies verify business leads before passing them to the sales team​​.

A sales team working with verified leads will have more success in their outreach efforts.

By providing your team with high-quality leads, you reduce the number of unproductive calls or emails and boost overall sales productivity.

Verified leads allow your sales team to focus on building relationships with prospects who are more likely to buy. 

4. Reduced bounce rates and spam complaints 

When email verification is part of your lead verification process, you can significantly reduce bounce rates and spam complaints.

Sending emails to verified addresses means fewer messages will bounce back or get marked as spam, helping you maintain a healthy sender reputation and increasing email deliverability. 

5. Better data insights 

Verifying leads also improves the quality of your customer data.

When your database is filled with accurate, verified information, you can gain deeper insights into your audience.

This allows for better segmentation, more effective targeting, and more personalised marketing efforts. 

6. Avoiding fraud 

Lead verification is essential for preventing fraudulent leads from entering your pipeline.

Fake or fraudulent leads can waste time and resources, and in some cases, they can lead to scams or financial losses.

By verifying leads, you ensure that only genuine prospects are being pursued, protecting your business from potential fraud.

Want to work with Unbiased?

Lead verification is a critical step in ensuring the quality and authenticity of your leads.

By verifying contact details and confirming that leads are real and reachable, businesses can focus on high-quality prospects who are more likely to convert.

Whether you use email, phone, or social media verification, taking the time to verify leads can improve your sales productivity, reduce costs, and lead to higher conversion rates.

With Unbiased Pro you can screen your leads upfront via a number of methods, ensuring you have complete control over the quality of your leads.