How to write a good lead
What makes a passed-on request worth accepting: the facts a manufacturer needs, what the quality check returns and how to earn the quality reward.
A lead is a buyer's request you cannot serve and pass on to another manufacturer. A good lead gets accepted quickly, which earns you a share of the credits paid for it. A vague one waits, moves from member to member and earns nothing.
What a manufacturer needs to decide
- What exactly: the product, material, finish and any standard or certificate the buyer requires. "Oak dining tables, 180 × 90 cm, oiled, 40 pieces" beats "wooden tables".
- How many and how often: quantity and unit, and whether it is a one-off or a repeat order.
- By when: the delivery date the buyer needs.
- Where: the delivery country.
- How much: the estimated order value. It sets the size of the lead and the credits it costs: small up to €2,000, medium up to €20,000, large above that.
- Why you pass it on: wrong product, too much or too little volume, a country you do not serve, or season. It tells others what kind of work this is.
- Drawings or photos: mention if the buyer has them.
The buyer's contact
Add the contact person, a work email and, if you have it, a phone number. Only the member who accepts the lead sees them, and every disclosure is logged. Pass on a contact only if the buyer agreed that you refer the request.
What the quality check does
Every lead is checked before it is offered to anyone:
- It is returned to you if a required fact is missing (title, niche, sub-category, description, quantity and unit, country, delivery date, estimated value, and why you pass it on), if the delivery date has passed, if the email or phone is not valid, or if the same contact with almost the same text was already posted in the last few days.
- It goes to a person for review if the email domain cannot receive mail or the text looks like spam.
A lead that passes the check first time earns you 1 credit as a quality reward (up to 3 a day). If it is later removed as spam or a duplicate, the reward is taken back.
Write it so a stranger understands it
- Use a title that names the product and the quantity.
- Write the description as you would brief a colleague, in short sentences.
- Do not put the buyer's name or contact details in the title or the description. They are shared only after acceptance.