THE VIGGO FIELD GUIDE

How to qualify sales leads before paying for deeper research

A reachable email address does not make a business a good customer. Start with the fit, separate facts from assumptions, and give each lead a clear next step.

1. Define what a good customer looks like

Write down what you sell, who benefits, where they operate, and the company size you can serve. Include exclusions: sectors you do not understand, buying processes you cannot support, and businesses too small or too large for your offer.

Be specific enough to make a decision. “Small businesses” leaves too much open. “Owner-led roofing companies in the UK with a team, where we can investigate quoting and follow-up work” is a more useful starting point. It describes a target without claiming every roofer has the same problem.

2. Check identity before scoring quality

Confirm that the website, business name, location, and contact details belong to the same company. Similar names and directory listings can mix unrelated businesses. A valid email attached to the wrong company is not a useful lead.

When the identity is uncertain, put the lead in review. Do not compensate for an unreliable match with more research on the wrong business.

3. Separate facts, signals, and unknowns

A fact is something the source establishes: a company serves a location, advertises a service, or lists a role. A signal suggests a question to investigate. Hiring an administrator might indicate a growing workload, but it does not prove that the team is overwhelmed.

A phone number or contact form does not prove lost enquiries. No published prices does not prove broken quoting. Record the source and turn these observations into questions. Keep budget, urgency, and willingness to change marked as unknown until you have evidence.

4. Keep fit separate from contactability

Ask two different questions: “Would this company benefit from our offer?” and “Can we reach the right person?” A strong-fit business with an unverified email might deserve a contact check. A deliverable email for a poor-fit business does not justify an outreach campaign.

• Strong fit: the core criteria match and the supporting evidence is clear.
• Possible fit: there is a reasonable match, with important details still missing.
• Needs review: identity or evidence is uncertain.
• Low fit: the business conflicts with your criteria or exclusions.

These labels help prioritise work. They are not probabilities of making a sale.

5. Research only when it changes the next decision

Before generating a detailed report, decide what you need to learn: who controls the purchase, how the service is delivered, or which specific workflow your offer could help. A report should support a decision or a conversation, rather than simply add more information.

In Viggo, save your customer profile, search for a small batch, review the quality categories, and research the strongest matches. Checking a business in a search uses one credit; generating a report uses five. Those are processing units, not promises of qualified buyers.

6. Write an introduction you can stand behind

Choose one verified detail and explain why your work is relevant. Describe what your tool or service does. Avoid telling a stranger that their business is failing based on a website observation.

After a reply, save the actual conversation and the next step. A LinkedIn or WhatsApp screenshot can preserve context for a teammate. Keep it attached as a conversation, separate from evidence used for business research.