The number of leads generated by an outbound-marketing campaign should closely resemble the number of real customer opportunities you have waiting for follow-up, and the type of leads should mirror your ideal customer. As Dom Lindars writes at the Marketbright Blog, "Knowing exactly what you're looking for in a prospect is the key to finding more opportunities, more deals, more revenue and better ROI." Otherwise, you may find yourself spending excessive time following up on uninterested leads.

If you've been dealing with too many unresponsive leads, take another look at your ideal prospect profile. Start with your favorite customers:

1. Identify the basics—company size, industry, job titles, decision makers, etc.
2. Take a close look at the key problems that you are solving for those customers.
3. Learn what caught your customers' attention.

Collaborate with Sales on points 2 and 3. While you might assume you already have the answers, Lindars advises: "It's important to regularly evaluate your customers' needs because the economy is shifting so rapidly that who you may not sell to today, may be exactly who needs you tomorrow."

Once you have compiled your information, compare it with the leads you've been bringing in. How do they look? Is it time to re-evaluate your demand-generation plans?

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