Leads and follow-up. Reviewed October 29, 2026
Qualified lead
Also called: SQL, Real lead
A qualified lead is a lead that has been checked and fits: the right service, inside the service area, a real person with a real job and a budget in range.
In practice
The check takes one call or one text exchange and it is the first job of whoever handles the phone, or of the automation that answers first. The point is to spend estimator time on jobs that can close.
Track the share of leads that qualify by channel. A channel with cheap leads and a 20 percent qualification rate is an expensive channel.
Related terms
- LeadA lead is a person who contacted the business about work by phone, form, text, chat or booking, before anyone has checked whether the job is real.
- Booking rateBooking rate is the share of leads that turn into a scheduled appointment or estimate, and it is the first place to look when leads are up but revenue is not.
- AI receptionistAn AI receptionist is software that answers the business phone in a natural voice, asks the caller what they need, captures their details and books or routes them, at any hour.
More leads and follow-up terms
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