How Do You Qualify Leads? Simple Steps for Maximum Results
James Dooley: So how do you qualify leads? Let’s say we’ve got a traffic source and we want to improve the quality. What steps are you taking?
Kasra Dash: Qualification is vital and it varies from niche to niche. For example, in debt services, someone needs at least £6,000 in debt to qualify for an IVA. Below that, it becomes a debt management plan. For equity release, they generally need to be over a certain age. For pension switching, they must be 55 or older. Qualification can depend on age, money, budget, or very simple pre-screening questions.
If someone is a conservatory builder and the lead comes in with a £500 budget, that’s not a qualified lead. No conservatory costs £500, so the qualification step prevents time-wasting.
Lead generation companies must have qualification steps in place, but the customer must also qualify the lead gen company. At FatRank, we only get paid if the lead converts, so we must ensure the business we work with can actually handle and convert the leads. There are two sides to qualification.
James Dooley: If I came to you asking for lead qualification, what type of forms would you recommend?
Kasra Dash: I’m a big fan of multistep forms because they let you ask more questions without overwhelming the user. For example, for solar panels, you can ask a postcode to check grant eligibility, budget, and then the usual details like name, email, phone, and location. With multisteps, it feels lighter and improves conversion rate optimization.
People don’t often know the requirements, such as needing £6,000 debt for an IVA or needing to be 55+ for pension switching. Asking these early saves your sales team a lot of wasted time.
James Dooley: From a lead gen perspective, this matters too. If you’re a mortgage broker who only wants remortgage leads, and the lead gen company keeps sending first-time buyer leads, then those leads aren’t qualified for you. A multistep form can ask: “Is this a first-time purchase or a remortgage?” That single filter directs the right lead to the right broker.
Some brokers specialise in lower-value first-time buyers; others only want high-value remortgages. Proper qualification and distribution ensure every business receives the leads that match their criteria.
Business owners should clearly state their criteria and refuse to pay for leads that don’t meet them.
Kasra Dash: Exactly. Otherwise, you’re paying on a pay-per-lead basis for inquiries you can’t convert. At FatRank, we operate on a commission-only, no-win-no-fee model, so you never pay for leads that don’t convert. There’s no qualification fee because the risk is on us. But on the flip side, we must qualify you—your speed, professionalism, case studies, testimonials, and track record.
If you want high-quality, pre-qualified leads, visit FatRank.com, fill out the contact form, and we may be able to help.
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