Selecting the right demand generation partner can make or break your marketing ROI. Use this interactive scorecard to benchmark vendors based on transparency, data integrity, and accountability.
Pro Tip: Vendors scoring below 3 in multiple areas are likely aggregators — not true lead generators.
| Score | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Best Practice / Ideal Vendor | Fully transparent, 100% in-house, compliant, auditable, data-backed |
| 4 | Strong Vendor | Mostly in-house, minor external dependencies, documented proof provided |
| 3 | Acceptable / Average Vendor | Some transparency, some outsourcing, limited documentation |
| 2 | High Risk Vendor | Outsourced model, partial compliance, limited visibility or proof |
| 1 | Red Flag Vendor | Lead aggregator, zero transparency, no compliance proof, cannot validate source |
Select ONE option per criteria that best describes the vendor
Higher scores indicate better transparency and practices
Total score is weighted by importance of each category
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generates all leads in-house from first-party opt-ins | |||||
| Mix of in-house and external data | |||||
| Relies fully on third-party/partner network |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provides timestamp, IP, form URL, and consent proof per lead | |||||
| Provides partial proof (timestamp only or sample only) | |||||
| Cannot provide any proof or 'due to privacy reasons' |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full disclosure of all IPs/domains and authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | |||||
| Partial disclosure, or shared IPs | |||||
| No disclosure or vague about delivery infrastructure |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Documented GDPR/CCPA/CASL process, live opt-out tracking | |||||
| Basic compliance claims, no written documentation | |||||
| Generic 'we're compliant' statement with no proof |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No outsourcing; all work done internally | |||||
| Minor subcontracting with full oversight | |||||
| Outsourced to multiple unknown partners |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transparent mix (email-based, content-driven, opt-in verified) | |||||
| Some unclear or high-volume low-quality channels | |||||
| Heavy reliance on telemarketing or display farming |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% in-house calling, recorded consent per call | |||||
| Outsourced but audited | |||||
| No consent records, no auditability |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated + manual QA (dedupe, validation, fraud detection) | |||||
| Basic checks only | |||||
| None or relies on external cleaning vendors |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time dashboards with full traceability | |||||
| Static reports, limited insight into sourcing | |||||
| No visibility beyond delivered leads |
| CRITERIA OPTIONS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracks post-delivery metrics (conversion, pipeline, ROI) | |||||
| Measures engagement only | |||||
| Only reports on volume |
| Score Range | Vendor Profile | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5 - 5.0 | Ideal Vendor (Best in Class) | Strong partner with proven transparency and compliance |
| 3.5 - 4.4 | Reliable Vendor (Good Partner) | Solid choice with minor areas for improvement |
| 2.5 - 3.4 | Moderate Risk (Needs Oversight) | Requires close monitoring and additional due diligence |
| 1.5 - 2.4 | High Risk (Aggregator / Outsourced) | Significant transparency and compliance concerns |
| 1.0 - 1.4 | Red Flag Vendor | Do Not Engage - High probability of compliance issues |
Red Flag Vendor (Do Not Engage)
Download our complete Vendor Questionnaire for comprehensive vendor evaluation: