What Does a Lead Generation Specialist Actually Do? (and When to Hire One)
The role that turns “activity” into real sales conversations
“More leads” is a meaningless goal to strive for if your calendars stay empty. A Lead Generation Specialist exists to create sales-ready conversations with the right accounts on a reliable cadence, without wrecking your sender reputation or clogging your CRM with junk.
In 2025 the job spans data, messaging, light qualification, and booking, across email + LinkedIn + phone, with a conversion path that lands on calendar-first, BOFU pages (pricing, comparisons, case studies). Done well, a specialist is the bridge between marketing and sales: they find the right people, spark interest with short, relevant offers, and hand prospects to sellers with context so meetings actually happen and hold.
What you’ll get in this guide:
A clear, practical definition of the role (and how it differs from SDR, Demand Gen, and RevOps).
Responsibilities and the day-to-day operating system that produces booked meetings (not vanity metrics).
EU-first compliance and deliverability guardrails (so you stay inboxed).
Hiring guidance, scorecards, and a 30-60-90 plan you can lift directly.
Helpful companions if you want to go deeper after this section:
• Outbound Lead Generation: The 2025 Playbook (sequencing, deliverability, routing).
• SEO & Lead Generation (BOFU pages that convert replies into meetings).
• Local Lead Generation (GBP, reviews, location pages that boost trust and show rates).
What a Lead Generation Specialist Is (and Isn’t)
The core mandate
A Lead Generation Specialist owns the path from “unknown account” to “booked meeting”. In practice, that means they:
Define & build micro-segments of your ICP (industry, role, geo, trigger).
Source and verify contacts ethically; keep lists clean and deduped.
Write short, offer-led messages (email/LinkedIn) tied to real triggers—e.g., a 10-minute audit, a benchmark, a quick teardown, always with two suggested times and a calendar link.
Sequence across channels (email + LinkedIn + phone) with polite persistence and good timing.
Run the reply desk: triage responses fast, propose times, and book the meeting.
Route and prepare handoffs so sellers show up with context (role, pain, page visited, offer accepted).
Keep the pipeline clean: log sources, outcomes, notes, and suppressions; no duplicates or spam traps.
Protect deliverability & compliance: authenticated domains, sensible send caps, legitimate interest basis, one-click opt-out, and maintained suppression lists.
Close the loop with marketing & sales: what messaging and offers actually produced conversations.
The best specialists are measured by reliable meeting creation and quality of handoff, not their sheer send volume.
Difference between a Lead Generation Specialist and other roles
It’s easy to hire the wrong profile because titles overlap. Here’s how a Lead Generation Specialist differs from neighboring functions:
Specialist vs. SDR (Sales Development Representative)
Specialist: Creates interest and books the first meeting. Light qualification via email/chat/phone; ensures the meeting is on the calendar with the right person.
SDR: Runs the meeting (or the first discovery call), handles early objections live, and advances/qualifies to pipeline stages.
Collaboration: Specialist fills the SDR’s calendar with the right conversations; SDR feeds back objections and talk tracks to sharpen messaging.
Specialist vs. Demand Gen (Marketing)
Specialist: 1:1 outbound motions—lists, messages, sequences, booking.
Demand Gen: One-to-many programs—SEO, content, paid, webinars, events.
Collaboration: Demand Gen builds BOFU pages and proof assets; Specialist drives replies to those pages and books the meeting.
Specialist vs. RevOps
Specialist: Executes the prospecting engine and keeps records tidy.
RevOps: Owns the plumbing—UTMs, call tracking, CRM objects, routing rules, dashboards, alerts.
Collaboration: RevOps ensures every booked meeting is attributed correctly and routed instantly; the Specialist follows the rules and flags leaks.
The handoff boundary (where “booking” ends and “selling” begins)
To keep responsibilities clean and momentum high, define the handoff like this:
Conversion path: email/LI/phone → calendar-first page (pricing/comparison/case) or direct scheduling link.
Booking: the Specialist confirms time, participants, and agenda; the system sends .ics and reminders.
Context package to seller: role, company, segment, trigger, last page visited, offer accepted (“10-min audit” or “benchmark”), notes from the thread.
Ownership switch: once booked, the seller (SDR/AE) owns pre-call prep and the live conversation; the Specialist remains responsible for rescheduling if needed.
What a Lead Generation Specialist is not (common mis-hires)
Not a generic “lead scraper.” Quality matters more than a giant list.
Not a long-form copywriter. The job is short, organic, and relevant copy that earns replies, not creating blog posts.
Not a lone-wolf closer. They set the table; sellers close.
Not a compliance risk. A good specialist is compliance-aware: legitimate interest for B2B, one-click opt-out, and responsible data retention.
When to hire one (classic triggers)
Founder-led prospecting is working but not scalable.
Sellers are burning time prospecting instead of selling.
You’re entering a new market/vertical/geo and need pipeline this quarter.
You’ve launched BOFU pages (pricing/comparisons/cases) and want more conversations, faster.
Deliverability or compliance scares you and you want an operator who keeps you inbox-safe.
Full Engine: B2B Outbound Sales Development
Scope, Responsibilities & Daily Operating System (DOS)
A great Lead Generation Specialist runs a tight operating system: clean lists, short offer-led messages, polite persistence across channels, and fast booking workflows. Below is a practical scope, the “done-right” quality bars, and a daily/weekly rhythm you can adopt tomorrow.
Scope & Responsibilities (with quality bars)
| Responsibility | What “good” looks like | Guardrails | Handoff Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICP & Micro-Segments | 3–5 precise segments (role, industry, city/district, trigger) | Binary must-haves; avoid boiling the ocean | Segment sheet + offer angle per segment |
| List Building & Verification | Verified role + company match; deduped; ethically sourced | Bounce forecast ≤5%; unsub/clients suppressed | Upload-ready CSV with source notes |
| Messaging | 50–90 words; 1 idea; offer-led; two suggested times | No images; 1 link max (calendar/BOFU) | Template set (A/B angles) by segment |
| Sequencing | 4–6 touches over 14–21 days across email + LI + phone | Send caps per inbox; local time windows | Live cadence with variants & notes |
| Reply Desk | Fast triage; propose two times; calendar-first | Business-hours SLA ≤15 min; after-hours auto-reply | Booked meeting + context thread |
| Routing & Rescheduling | Assign by segment + city/district; quick reschedule links | No manual back-and-forth; clear owner | Calendar invite (.ics) + owner alert |
| CRM Hygiene | Source, campaign, landing URL, notes logged consistently | Suppression respected; zero duplicates | Clean contact/meeting records |
| Compliance & Deliverability | Legitimate interest, opt-out, suppression; SPF/DKIM/DMARC | Complaints <0.1%; steady warm-up; kill-switches | Domain health + suppression workbook |
Daily Operating System (DOS)
Example rhythm in Europe/Sofia business hours—adapt to your market.
Morning (08:45–10:30): Focus sends & high-intent follow-ups
Ship small, clean batches to one micro-segment; prioritize Tier-1 personalization.
Follow up on yesterday’s opens/clicks/positives first.
Keep templates short, propose two times in the body, and link to the most relevant BOFU page (pricing/comparison/case).
Late morning (10:30–12:00): Reply desk & booking
Triage inboxes every 15–20 min: propose two times; paste booking link; confirm details; send .ics.
Route by segment + city/district + role; if owner is at capacity, assign backup.
Early afternoon (13:00–14:30): Research & list QA
Build/verifiy the next micro-list; dedupe and enrich light fields (role, city/district, website).
Update suppression lists (unsubs/customers) and notes on sources.
Mid afternoon (14:30–16:00): LinkedIn & call assist
Connection requests (no pitch), short DMs to warm opens/visitors, and polite call attempts for “interested but unbooked”.
Late afternoon (16:00–16:45): Calendar hygiene & handoffs
Double-check tomorrow’s meetings: participants, agenda snippet, relevant page links.
Reschedule any conflicts with two quick options.
End of day (16:45–17:15): Change log & prep
Note what templates/offers worked; flag issues (bounces, list pockets).
Queue next morning’s sends (keep volume modest; protect deliverability).
Weekly Rhythm (optimize without guesswork)
Monday: Review last week’s replies by segment/offer; retire the lowest performer; keep one constant control.
Midweek: Add a fresh angle (e.g., benchmark vs. site visit) to one micro-segment.
Friday: Light pipeline cleaning; verify next week’s lists; test a new subject line on a micro-batch.
Micro-templates for the Reply Desk (paste & personalize)
Positive → book (first response):
“Perfect—Thu 10:30 or 15:00 work? Otherwise grab any time here: {{calendar}}. I’ll send a 1-page summary afterward.”
“Send info” → push to calendar gently:
“Happy to—what’s the one outcome you care most about? I’ll tailor a 1-pager and we can do a 10-minute walkthrough Thu 10:30 or 15:00.”
Deferral (“next quarter”):
“Got it—I’ll park this for {{month}}. Want the checklist/benchmark now so it’s handy?”
No-show → rescue (T+5m):
“Sorry we missed each other—can do tomorrow 10:30 or 15:00, or pick any time here: {{calendar}}.”
Tooling Stack (minimum viable set)
Data & Enrichment: ethical sources (associations/partners/public directories); light enrichment (role, city/district, site).
Sending & Sequencing: plain-text email, LinkedIn assist, dialer for brief calls; custom tracking domain for links.
Domains & Deliverability: dedicated sending subdomains, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, controlled warm-up, sensible send caps.
Calendar & Booking: inline calendar on BOFU pages, two times in copy, .ics confirmations, timezone detection.
Call Tracking: DNI so callbacks attribute correctly; simple call outcomes.
CRM & Notes: source, campaign, landing URL, last page viewed, thread notes; suppression lists.
Alerts: bounces, complaints, form errors, calendar load issues—so you can pause before damage spreads.
Handoff Package (what the seller sees before the call)
Who: name, role, company, segment, city/district.
Why now: trigger/angle that sparked the reply.
What they saw: BOFU page URL, asset promised (audit/checklist/outline).
When: time, participants, reschedule link.
Notes: key lines from the email/LI thread; expectations set (“10-min audit” vs “30-min plan”).
Compliance & Deliverability
Not legal advice—use this as an operational checklist and confirm with counsel for your markets.
Modern specialists win by being respectful (lawful basis, easy opt-out) and boringly reliable (domains warmed, caps respected, kill-switches ready). Use the SOPs below to keep your outreach compliant and your emails in the inbox.
Legal basis & documentation (EU)
Legitimate interest (B2B): Contact role-relevant prospects when the message is proportionate and non-intrusive.
Short LIA note per segment: Purpose, necessity, balancing test, safeguards (opt-out, minimization). Store in your wiki.
Data minimization: Only keep fields you actually use (name, role, company, work email, city/district, notes).
One-click unsubscribe: Durable, token-free link that works from any device.
Suppression governance: Global list shared across all tools/inboxes; never re-add suppressed contacts.
Retention: Purge stale/unengaged contacts after 12–18 months; keep audit logs of opt-outs and consents.
Vendor DPAs: Sign DPAs with data/processors; prefer EU/EAA storage or SCCs if outside the EEA.
Channel caveats:
SMS/WhatsApp: consent required in most contexts.
Phone recording: follow country rules; announce where required.
LinkedIn: respect platform limits; avoid automation that violates ToS.
Deliverability foundations (domains, DNS, link tracking)
Domain strategy: Keep corporate mail on
@domain.com. Use sending subdomains (e.g.,@hello.domain.com,@team.domain.com) or branded alternates (@do-main.com) that forward the website to your main domain.DNS authentication:
SPF: single record, flattened; keep < 10 lookups.
DKIM: 2048-bit; rotate annually.
DMARC: start
p=none, move toquarantine, thenrejectonce stable; tighten alignment gradually.BIMI (optional): minor B2B impact, still a trust cue.
Custom tracking domains: CNAME your links so URLs reflect your brand, not the send tool’s.
Mailbox architecture & warm-up (14–28 days)
Per inbox daily caps (mature): 90–150 plain-text emails/day with 1 link.
Ramp plan:
Week 1: 5–10 genuine 1:1 emails/day (colleagues/partners); get real replies.
Week 2: 20–40/day to hyper-relevant micro-lists; Tier-1 personalization.
Week 3–4: 60–90/day if bounce <3–5%, complaints <0.1%, open >40%, reply >8%.
Split by segment: Isolate inboxes per vertical/geo to limit blast-radius if a list underperforms.
Content hygiene (what inboxes reward)
Short & organic: 50–90 words, 1 idea, one link (calendar or relevant BOFU page).
No images/attachments in cold touches; avoid spammy phrases and ALL CAPS.
Two times in copy: “Thu 10:30 or 15:00?” → raises reply→booked.
Send windows: recipient local 08:30–10:30 or 14:00–16:30, Tue–Thu.
Monitoring & kill-switches
Watch weekly: bounces (< 3–5%), complaints (< 0.1%), opens (40–60%), replies (8–15%), positives (2–6%).
Tools: Google Postmaster (for Google-hosted), inbox-level stats, seed tests (directional).
If thresholds break: pause the sequence/inbox, audit last sends (list source, template, link domain), reduce volume 50% for 3–5 days, relaunch with shorter template to a known-good micro-list, and re-verify recent contacts. Park a damaged subdomain 2–4 weeks if needed.
EU B2B Outreach Compliance Checklist
| Item | Why it matters | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIA note per segment | Documents legitimate interest & safeguards | Legal/RevOps | — |
| One-click unsubscribe | Respects rights; reduces complaints | RevOps | — |
| Global suppression list | Prevents re-contact; mandatory for trust | RevOps | — |
| Data minimization & retention | Reduce risk; purge after 12–18 months | RevOps | — |
| DPA with processors | Lawful processing; cross-border controls | Legal | — |
| Consent for SMS/WhatsApp | Required for messaging apps | Marketing/Sales | — |
| Call recording disclosure | Country-specific compliance | Sales | — |
Deliverability Runbook
| Phase | Actions | Metrics to Watch | Thresholds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | SPF/DKIM/DMARC; 5–10 genuine 1:1 emails/day; human replies | Opens, human replies | — |
| Week 2 | 20–40/day to micro-lists; Tier-1 personalization; 1 link max | Open > 40%, Reply > 8% | — |
| Week 3–4 | 60–90/day if Week 2 healthy; add second inbox if stable | Bounce < 3–5%, Complaints < 0.1% | Pause if breached |
| Ongoing | Rotate angles; verify new lists; monitor Postmaster | Positives 2–6%; seed tests directional only | Reduce volume 50% for 3–5 days on dips |
| Incident | Pause sequence; isolate list; shorter template; re-verify; new subdomain if needed | Health normalizes within 5–7 days | Park harmed subdomain 2–4 weeks |
Incident response (copy/paste mini-playbook)
Identify: Which inbox/sequence/list source?
Isolate: Stop sends; suppress recent bounces; exclude domains with 2+ bounces.
Diagnose: DNS misconfig? Link domain flagged? Message content? Bad data pocket?
Remediate: Short text-only template (no links) to a known-good micro-list; re-verify last 1–2k contacts; rotate tracking domain if needed.
Recover: Resume at 50% volume for 3–5 days; step up if metrics hold.
30-60-90 Plan for a New Lead Generation Specialist (with Outcomes)
A solid 90-day plan front-loads inbox safety + ICP clarity, then layers on sequencing, reply SLAs, and booking ops, and finally scales the winning angles. Use the plan below as your onboard checklist—everything maps to booked meetings, not busywork.
Further reading:
• For BOFU page patterns and calendar UX, see SEO & Lead Generation.
• For local trust (GBP, reviews, location pages), see Local Lead Generation.
• For sequencing, routing, and no-show rescue, see Outbound Lead Generation 2025.
30-60-90 Outcomes
| Phase | Focus | Key Activities | Deliverables | Quality Bars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Infra + ICP |
• Set up sending subdomains; SPF/DKIM/DMARC • Warm 2 inboxes; create global suppression list • Define 3–5 micro-segments (role, industry, city/district, trigger) • Build first 100–200 verified contacts; dedupe • Draft 2 offer angles/segment; pair with BOFU pages (+ inline calendar) |
• Domain health sheet + warm-up plan • Segment one-pagers (offers, proof, BOFU URLs) • Upload-ready CSV (sources noted) |
• Bounce < 5% • Complaints < 0.1% • Lists verified; unsub/customers suppressed • BOFU pages live with calendars |
| Days 31–60 | Sequencing + SLAs |
• Launch 4–6 touch cadences (email + LI + phone) for 2–3 segments • Operate reply desk; propose 2 times; route by segment + city • Implement reminders (T-24/T-2/T-10); no-show rescue • Light qualification; clean handoff notes to sellers |
• Live cadences with A/B angles • Reply desk playbook & snippets • Routing rules + owner alerts (.ics) |
• Reply→Booked within 48h for positives • Hold rate ≥ 80% (via reminders & routing) • Healthy deliverability maintained |
| Days 61–90 | Scale Winners |
• Expand sends to additional micro-segment(s) and inboxes (controlled) • Retire losing angles; keep one control per segment • Strengthen BOFU (FAQs, proof strips, click-to-call/DNI) • Document change log & playbooks |
• “Winner” offer per segment + final templates • Updated BOFU pages (objection FAQs/schema) • Ops runbook (warm-up, caps, incident response) |
• Consistent booked meetings/week • No-show recovery 10–25% within 7 days • Send volume increases ≤ 20–30% WoW |
Narrative Notes (how to execute the plan)
Days 1–30 (Lay the tracks): Finish domain/DNS, warm inboxes with human replies, define tight micro-segments, and ship the first BOFU pages with inline calendars. Don’t chase volume yet—protect deliverability and get your first replies.
Days 31–60 (Operate the engine): Run 4–6 touch cadences across email + LinkedIn + phone, staff the reply desk, and book meetings quickly by proposing two times. Add reminders and a no-show rescue flow so meetings hold.
Days 61–90 (Scale what’s working): Add a segment or inbox only when the first ones are healthy. Prune weak angles, strengthen BOFU with objection FAQs and proof, and document everything so results persist.
Compensation & Capacity — Practical Models in €
A Lead Generation Specialist is only “expensive” when meetings don’t land on the calendar. Comp should reward held meetings and clean handoffs, and capacity should protect deliverability + SLAs so quality scales, not just volume.
Compensation Models (pick one, keep it simple)
| Model | Typical Base (€/mo) | Variable | When to use | Pros | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base + Per Held Meeting | €2,200–€3,500 (mid); €3,500–€5,000 (senior) | €35–€120 per held meeting (quality-gated) | When you want calendar outcomes, fast | Aligns effort to meetings; simple to track | Gate by quality: no-show %, disqualify rate, routing notes |
| Base + Per Opportunity | €2,200–€3,800 | €120–€300 per opp created | When SDRs own discovery and stage moves | Rewards meeting quality, not just volume | Define “opportunity” precisely to avoid disputes |
| Base + Team Bonus | €2,000–€3,300 | Shared bonus on monthly targets | When multiple specialists share routing/SLAs | Promotes coverage & collaboration | Can hide under-performance if not balanced with individual goals |
| Freelance/Contract | €20–€45/hour equivalent | Per-meeting or per-project add-ons | Short projects, overflow, testing segments | Flexible; low commitment | Risk of inconsistency; enforce compliance & data hygiene |
| Managed Partner | Program fee | Outcome SLAs in retainer | When you want an engine, not a seat | Time-to-value in weeks; ops included | Ensure attribution & handoff clarity |
Quality gates to add to any variable plan
Bonus triggers only on held meetings.
No-show rate above an agreed threshold reduces payout on that batch.
Handoff package must include role, trigger, last BOFU page URL, and two-line context.
Compliance incidents (e.g., missing unsub) void variable for that period.
Capacity Planning (protect deliverability + SLAs)
| Lever | Conservative | Typical | Aggressive (riskier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm inboxes | 1–2 | 2–3 | 3–4 | Isolate by segment/geo to limit blast radius |
| Sends/day/inbox | 60–90 | 90–120 | 120–150 | Plain text, ≤1 link; respect Tue–Thu, 08:30–10:30 / 14:00–16:30 |
| Reply desk coverage | 09:00–17:00 | 08:30–18:00 | + light after-hours | Target ≤15 min first response in business hours |
| First meetings/day/rep (sales) | 6–8 | 8–10 | 10–12 | Beyond this, hold rates drop; add overflow/backup owners |
| No-show recovery window | 7 days | 7 days | — | Run T-24/T-2/T-10 reminders + T+5m, T+2h, T+24h rescue |
Shift Design & SLAs (so replies turn into bookings)
Business-hours SLA: first response to positives in ≤15 minutes.
Coverage: 08:30–18:00 (Europe/Sofia); calendar overflow rules when owners are at capacity.
Calendar UX: offer two fixed times in the message and link to an inline calendar on a relevant BOFU page (pricing, comparison, case).
Routing: by segment + city/district + role; if owner unresponsive for >2 hours, auto-route to backup.
Reminders: T-24h / T-2h / T-10m (email + SMS/WhatsApp if consented); no-show rescue T+5m/T+2h/T+24h.
When to Add Another Specialist (clear triggers)
Positive replies pile up outside SLA for 3+ days despite process fixes.
Hold rate drops because sellers are overbooked (add overflow owner and/or second specialist).
You’re launching new micro-segments (e.g., second city/industry) and don’t want to risk domain reputation by jumping volume too fast.
Quality work (list verification, handoff notes, suppression governance) is slipping.
Where Ground Leads fits (alternative to adding headcount)
If you’re deciding between hiring another seat or standing up an engine, our B2B Outbound Sales Development program can absorb volume immediately: compliant list building, short offer-led sequences, reply desk & routing, no-show rescue, and close collaboration with your BOFU pages from SEO. Typical program fee €3,500–€7,000/month
Build vs. Outsource (and Hybrid) — When Each Path Wins
The choice isn’t philosophical—it’s speed, reliability, and management overhead. Pick the path that gets you to booked, held meetings fastest without risking deliverability or drowning your team in ops.
Quick Decision Guide
Choose Build (hire a Specialist) if…
You have time to ramp (domains, lists, cadences, routing) and a manager who’s shipped multi-channel outbound before.
You want the know-how in-house and you can maintain reply desk coverage during business hours.
You’re ready to own deliverability, compliance, and tooling yourself.
Choose Managed Partner if…
You need first meetings in weeks, not quarters.
You don’t want to assemble domains, warm-up, lists, cadences, reply desk, routing, and no-show rescue piece by piece.
You prefer one accountable team running the engine end-to-end.
Choose Hybrid if…
You’ll keep strategy/voice in-house, but want a partner for ops, infra, and booking.
You have a Specialist already and want to add capacity (more segments/geos) without deliverability risk.
Side-by-Side: Build vs Hybrid vs Managed Partner
| Factor | Build In-House Hire a Specialist |
Hybrid Specialist + Partner Ops |
Managed Partner Ground Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to first held meetings | 8–12 weeks (hire, warm-up, routing) | 4–8 weeks (split setup) | 2–6 weeks (prebuilt infra + reply desk) |
| Reply desk & routing coverage | Owner-dependent; gaps common | Shared (partner covers peaks) | SLA-based, same-day slots + no-show rescue |
| Deliverability & domain risk | Higher while ramping | Moderate; partner shields volume spikes | Low; warmed domains, caps, kill-switches |
| Compliance (EU-first) | DIY LIAs, unsub, suppression ops | Shared governance | Templates + global suppression processes |
| Copy & offer library | Built from scratch | In-house voice + partner angles | Proven offer angles by segment |
| Management overhead | High (ops + coaching) | Medium | Low; single accountable owner |
| Knowledge transfer | Max (all in-house) | Shared playbooks | Playbooks + change logs; can transition later |
| All-in monthly cost | Base/variable + tools + data + domains | Specialist comp + partner fee | Program fee (EUR), tools/ops bundled |
Which Path Fits Your Situation? (scenario picker)
| Scenario | Build | Hybrid | Managed Partner | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need meetings inside 4–6 weeks | — | Maybe | Yes | Partner brings warmed domains, messaging, reply desk |
| Strong in-house voice; weak ops/deliverability | — | Yes | Maybe | Keep copy; outsource infra, booking, rescue |
| Tight compliance posture needed (EU-first) | — | Yes | Yes | LIA notes, suppression, DPAs, unsub mechanics ready |
| Hiring freeze but pipeline gap | — | Maybe | Yes | Opex via program fee vs headcount |
| Long-term internal capability a priority | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Start Hybrid; transition playbooks in-house later |
Hybrid Models That Work
Voice-in, Ops-out: Your Specialist writes and segments; Ground Leads runs domains, sequencing, reply desk, routing, no-show rescue.
Partner-first, In-house shadow: We operate fully for 90 days; your Specialist shadows, then gradually takes over sequences or reply desk.
Split by segment/geo: In-house covers your easiest market; we launch new segments/cities on isolated domains to avoid deliverability risk.
Implementation Checklists (start tomorrow)
If building now (in-house):
Set up sending subdomains + SPF/DKIM/DMARC; start warm-up.
Define 3–5 micro-segments; build 100–200 verified contacts each.
Draft two offer angles per segment; pair with BOFU pages (inline calendar).
Launch small cadences; staff reply desk; add reminders & no-show rescue.
If choosing Managed Partner (Ground Leads):
30-min discovery: segments, offers, capacity, calendars.
We deploy the domain factory, sequencing, and reply desk + routing.
You review messages and BOFU pages; approve first sends.
First meetings typically begin weeks after go-ahead; we share playbooks/change logs.
If going Hybrid:
Decide ownership matrix (copy, infra, reply desk, routing, analytics).
Share brand voice + proof assets; we supply ops + warm-up and booking.
Weekly stand-up: what we learned; you update voice/angles.
Graduate modules in-house when ready (e.g., take back reply desk).
Where Ground Leads Fits
Ground Leads can be your engine or your ops multiplier:
Managed Partner: We run the full loop—compliant lists, short offer-led sequences, reply desk & routing, and no-show rescue—and pair outreach with your BOFU pages so replies convert.
Hybrid: Keep your Specialist; we supply warmed domains, deliverability guardrails, booking SLAs, and playbooks you keep.
Programs: B2B Outbound Sales Development typically €3,500–€7,000/month (Bulgaria-based; priced in EUR). If you’re also investing in inbound, pair with our SEO packages (€6,500–€11,000/month) to boost conversion from replies to meetings.
FAQs — Quick Answers
Q1) Is a Lead Gen Specialist the same as an SDR?
A: No. The Specialist creates interest and books the meeting; the SDR (or AE) runs it and advances the deal. Keep the handoff boundary explicit.
Q2) How fast can a good Specialist generate first meetings?
A: With warmed domains, live cadences, and reply-desk coverage, teams typically see first meetings within 2–6 weeks. If you’re starting from zero, plan for domain warm-up first.
Q3) What channels should a Specialist use?
A: Email-first, with LinkedIn and light phone assists. Always point to a relevant BOFU page (pricing, comparisons, case studies) with an inline calendar to speed booking.
Q4) Do we need to publish prices?
A: Ranges in € on BOFU pages help qualify and speed decisions. Pair price ranges with a short process overview and objections FAQ.
Q5) Is cold outreach GDPR-compliant?
A: For B2B, yes—when you rely on legitimate interest, keep messages role-relevant, include a one-click unsubscribe, and maintain a global suppression list. Document simple LIA notes and follow local rules for SMS/WhatsApp/recording.
Q6) What causes no-shows—and how do we fix them?
A: Missing reminders and unclear value. Use T-24h / T-2h / T-10m reminders, propose two quick reschedule times, and run a no-show rescue (T+5m / T+2h / T+24h).
Q7) When should we hire vs. use a managed partner?
A: Hire if you can staff the reply desk, handle deliverability, and have time to ramp. Choose a partner if you need meetings in weeks, want SLAs, or lack ops capacity. A hybrid model (you own voice, partner runs ops/booking) also works well.
Q8) What’s a sensible compensation model?
A: A simple base plus per held meeting or per opportunity bonus, gated by quality (no-show %, clean handoff, compliance). See “Compensation & Capacity” above.
HubSpot vs Salesforce compared for real sales impact. See pricing, AI, reporting, ease of use, and best fit by team size and sales motion across the EU.