The 5-Minute Lead Audit
Before You Reach Out
A structured checklist that turns raw business data into a clear go/no-go decision. Five checks. Five minutes. Zero wasted outreach.
Why Audit Before Outreach
Lead Audit
Definition: A rapid, structured review of publicly available business information performed before initiating outreach. Purpose: determine whether a lead is worth contacting based on observable signals.
Cost of Skipping the Audit
- Emails sent to closed businesses - wasted effort, hurts sender reputation
- Calls to businesses that already have what you sell - instant rejection
- Generic pitches that show zero research - builds distrust, not conversations
- Bounced emails increase spam risk for your entire domain
Value of a 5-Minute Audit
- Confirms the business exists, is active, and serves customers right now
- Identifies specific gaps you can reference in your message - personalization fuel
- Filters out leads that will never convert, saving hours of follow-up
- Builds a mental model of the business before you write - messages land better
| Approach | Time / Lead | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
Spray & pray | 30 sec | Low reply, high bounce |
5-min audit first | 5 min | Higher reply, zero bounce |
Deep research | 20+ min | Best reply, too slow to scale |
The Sweet Spot
Five minutes per lead is the optimal balance between blind outreach and excessive research. It is enough time to catch disqualifying red flags and spot genuine opportunity signals, but fast enough to audit 12 leads per hour and maintain outreach volume.
The 5-Step Audit Workflow
Execute these five steps in order for every lead. Each step takes about one minute and produces a pass, partial, or fail result. Total time: under five minutes.
Check Website Presence
~60 secScan Review Profile
~60 secVerify Listing Completeness
~45 secFields to Check:
Validate Contact Data
~60 secRed Flag Scan
~60 secInstant Disqualifiers:
Score Interpretation & Decision
Scoring Formula
Contact immediately. Personalize the message. Reference specific gaps you observed.
Add to outreach queue. Semi-personalized template is fine. Follow up once or twice.
Save for later. Contact only after higher-scoring leads are exhausted.
Do not contact. Business is likely closed, unreachable, or not a fit. Remove from list.
| Score | Decision | Outreach Style | Follow-ups | Time Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12–15 | GO | Fully personalized | 3–5 follow-ups | 10 min / lead |
| 8–11 | QUEUE | Semi-personalized template | 1–2 follow-ups | 3 min / lead |
| 4–7 | HOLD | Generic template | 0–1 follow-ups | 1 min / lead |
| 0–3 | SKIP | None | None | 0 min |
Audit Scenarios: Hypothetical Walkthroughs
For illustration: These examples use hypothetical businesses to demonstrate how the audit plays out in practice. Your results depend on your actual lead data.
Scenario A: Local Plumber
14/15Verdict: Strong lead. Active business with proven customers but zero digital investment. Contact immediately with a specific observation about their missing website.
Scenario B: Dental Office
9/15Verdict: Worth contacting. Good reviews and outdated site create an opening. Cold call since no email. Reference the template website specifically.
Scenario C: Restaurant
5/15Verdict: Low priority. Already digitally invested. Low review count might signal new business - hold and revisit in 3 months.
Scenario D: Retail Store
2/15Verdict: Skip entirely. Multiple signals suggest this business is closed or inactive. No contact data makes outreach impossible anyway.
Industry-Specific Audit Adjustments
| Industry | Weigh Higher | Weigh Lower | Special Check |
|---|---|---|---|
Home Services | Website + Reviews | Listing photos | Licensed/insured status visible? |
Medical/Dental | Website quality | Review count | Patient portal / online booking? |
Restaurants | Reviews + Photos | Website presence | Online ordering or delivery setup? |
Real Estate | Website + Contact | Listing completeness | IDX/MLS integration on site? |
Retail | Listing + Reviews | Contact quality | E-commerce presence? |
Adaptation Rule
The five audit steps stay the same for every industry. What changes is which steps matter most. If you sell web design to plumbers, Step 1 (website check) carries more weight than Step 3 (listing completeness). The framework is the constant - the emphasis shifts per industry.
Speed Tips: Staying Under 5 Minutes
Time Killers
- Reading every individual review instead of scanning count + rating + recency
- Clicking through every page of the website instead of checking homepage + about page
- Researching the business owner on LinkedIn before deciding if the lead is worth contacting
- Checking competitors or market size during the audit phase
Time Savers
- Open Google Maps listing - shows reviews, photos, hours, website link in one view
- Check website on mobile - reveals responsiveness and overall quality in seconds
- Use RangeLead data fields - website, email, phone, rating, review count already extracted
- Score as you go - fill in 5 numbers, sum them, make the decision immediately
Throughput Formula
If 30% score 8+ = ~29 actionable leads/day
For illustration: even at 5 minutes per audit, one person can process nearly 100 leads per day and generate a prioritized outreach queue of ~30 strong leads. The audit does not slow you down - it focuses your energy.
Quick Reference: The Complete Audit at a Glance
5-Minute Lead Audit Cheat Sheet
| # | Check | 3 pts (Best) | 1–2 pts (OK) | 0 pts (Skip signal) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Website | None / broken | Outdated / template | Modern + professional | 60s |
| 2 | Reviews | 20+, 3.5+★ | 5–19 or mixed | 0–4 or under 2.5★ | 60s |
| 3 | Listing | Missing 2+ fields | Missing 1 field | Fully complete | 45s |
| 4 | Contact | Email + phone | Phone or generic email | No contact data | 60s |
| 5 | Red Flags | Zero flags | 1 minor flag | Major flags present | 60s |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 5-minute lead audit?
A rapid, structured review of five publicly observable data points - website, reviews, listing, contact data, and red flags - that produces a 0–15 score and a go/no-go decision before outreach.
How many leads can I audit per day?
At 5 minutes per lead, one person can audit approximately 12 leads per hour. In a focused 4-hour block, that is 48 audited and scored leads ready for prioritized outreach.
Should I audit every lead or just sample them?
Audit every lead you plan to contact. Skipping the audit for even a portion of your list means sending blind outreach to those leads - which defeats the purpose. If the list is too large, reduce the list size first.
What if a lead scores 0 on one step but high on others?
That depends on which step scored 0. If it is contact data (no way to reach them), skip regardless of total score. If it is website (they already have a great site), the total score naturally lowers but may still be worth contacting for other services.
Can I automate parts of the audit?
Steps 2–4 (reviews, listing, contact) can be partially automated using lead data fields from providers like RangeLead. Step 1 (website) and Step 5 (red flags) benefit from human judgment.
How often should I re-audit saved leads?
Re-audit leads in your HOLD bucket every 3 months. Businesses change - a business that scored 5 in January may score 10 in April after losing their marketing vendor or letting their website expire.
Key Takeaways
Five Minutes Is Enough
A structured 5-step audit captures the critical signals without over-investing time. Twelve audits per hour is sustainable and scalable.
Score Creates Clarity
A 0–15 score removes ambiguity. GO, QUEUE, HOLD, or SKIP - every lead gets a clear action, not a gut feeling.
Effort Matches Priority
High-scoring leads get personalized outreach and multiple follow-ups. Low-scoring leads get templates or nothing. Your time goes where it counts.
Red Flags Are Instant Kills
Permanently closed, all stale reviews, duplicates, or franchise chains - any of these means skip immediately, regardless of other signals.
Adapt Weights by Industry
The five steps never change. Which steps carry more weight depends on the industry and what you sell. Adjust emphasis, keep the framework.
Audit Fuels Personalization
The audit is not just a filter. Every signal you observe becomes a line in your outreach message. The audit pays for itself in message quality.