Finding qualified leads that actually convert into paying customers remains the biggest challenge for local businesses. With dozens of lead generation services promising the moon, separating genuine performers from money pits requires cutting through marketing hype. This guide reviews lead generation services based on real-world performance, pricing transparency, and suitability for different business types. Whether you need exclusive leads for a home service company or appointment setting for a professional practice, you’ll find options that match your budget and growth goals.
1. Clicks Geek
Best for: Local businesses wanting exclusive, high-converting leads through PPC campaigns with built-in conversion optimization.
Clicks Geek is a Google Premier Partner agency specializing in PPC-driven lead generation for local service businesses.
Where This Service Shines
The biggest differentiator here is lead exclusivity. Unlike shared lead marketplaces where you’re competing with five other contractors for the same customer, Clicks Geek generates leads exclusively for your business through custom PPC campaigns.
Their Google Premier Partner status means they’ve demonstrated consistent ad performance and maintain direct access to Google’s support resources. This translates to better campaign optimization and faster problem resolution when issues arise.
Key Features
Google Premier Partner Status: Proven track record of managing high-performing ad campaigns with access to advanced Google support and beta features.
Conversion Rate Optimization: Built-in CRO expertise means campaigns focus on lead quality and conversion rates, not just traffic volume.
Exclusive Lead Generation: All leads generated belong to you alone—no sharing with competitors or bidding wars for the same customer.
Transparent ROI Tracking: Clear reporting on cost per lead, conversion rates, and actual revenue generated from campaigns.
Local Business Specialization: Deep experience with service-based businesses like HVAC, plumbing, legal services, and home improvement contractors.
Best For
Local service businesses that want to own their lead generation channel rather than renting leads from marketplaces. Particularly valuable for businesses with higher-ticket services where lead quality matters more than lead volume, and where exclusive customer relationships drive better conversion rates.
Pricing
Custom pricing based on ad spend requirements and service scope. Contact for a personalized quote based on your market, competition, and growth goals.
2. CIENCE
Best for: Enterprise B2B companies needing human-powered prospect research and dedicated SDR teams for complex sales cycles.
CIENCE is an outbound lead generation company using human researchers and SDR teams to build targeted prospect lists and conduct multi-channel outreach.
Where This Service Shines
CIENCE takes a research-intensive approach that works particularly well for enterprise sales. Their human researchers build prospect lists based on your ideal customer profile, then dedicated SDR teams execute multi-touch campaigns across email, phone, and LinkedIn.
The quality control process stands out. Every prospect goes through multiple verification steps before outreach begins, reducing wasted touches on bad contacts. Their SDRs function as an extension of your sales team, following your messaging guidelines and qualification criteria.
Key Features
Human-Powered Research: Real researchers build prospect lists rather than relying solely on database scraping, resulting in higher accuracy.
Dedicated SDR Teams: Assigned team members who learn your business and maintain consistency in outreach efforts.
Multi-Channel Campaigns: Coordinated outreach across email, phone calls, and LinkedIn for better response rates.
Detailed Qualification: Multi-step lead qualification process ensures only genuinely interested prospects reach your sales team.
CRM Integration: Direct integration with major CRM platforms for seamless lead handoff and tracking.
Best For
B2B companies with complex enterprise sales cycles, particularly in technology, SaaS, and professional services sectors. Works best when you have a clearly defined ideal customer profile and need consistent pipeline generation at scale.
Pricing
Managed services typically start around $5,000-$8,000 per month depending on campaign complexity and volume requirements. Enterprise packages with larger SDR teams run higher.
3. Belkins
Best for: B2B companies prioritizing qualified appointment setting through personalized email outreach campaigns.
Belkins is an appointment setting service focused on booking qualified sales meetings through personalized email outreach, particularly strong in professional services verticals.
Where This Service Shines
Belkins focuses specifically on appointment setting rather than general lead generation. Their deliverable is booked meetings with decision-makers, not just contact information or email replies. This appointment-first approach aligns incentives better with actual sales outcomes.
The email sequences they create emphasize personalization at scale. Each message references specific details about the prospect’s company or industry, making outreach feel less like mass email and more like targeted business development.
Key Features
Appointment-Focused Deliverables: Success measured by booked meetings, not just leads or responses, ensuring higher-quality outcomes.
Personalized Email Sequences: Custom-crafted email campaigns with prospect-specific personalization elements for better engagement.
Lead Research and List Building: Complete prospect research service to identify and verify target contacts before outreach.
Performance Tracking Dashboard: Real-time visibility into campaign metrics, response rates, and meeting bookings.
Dedicated Account Management: Assigned account manager who optimizes campaigns based on performance data.
Best For
Professional services firms, B2B SaaS companies, and consulting businesses where the sales process starts with a discovery call or demo. Most effective when you have a clear value proposition that can be communicated via email and a sales team ready to handle booked appointments.
Pricing
Typically ranges from $3,000-$6,000 per month depending on target appointment volume and campaign complexity. Some packages include performance guarantees on minimum appointments booked.
4. Martal Group
Best for: Technology and SaaS companies needing North American-based sales executives for full-funnel B2B lead generation.
Martal Group is a B2B lead generation agency using North American sales executives to generate leads through outbound prospecting for tech companies.
Where This Service Shines
Martal Group’s use of North American-based sales executives provides a competitive advantage for companies selling into US and Canadian markets. Their team understands regional business culture, time zones align with prospect availability, and communication quality stays consistently high.
Their full-funnel approach goes beyond top-of-funnel lead generation. They nurture prospects through multiple touchpoints, handle objections, and qualify leads thoroughly before handoff. This results in more sales-ready opportunities rather than raw contacts.
Key Features
North American Sales Executives: All outreach conducted by experienced sales professionals based in North America for better cultural fit and communication.
Full-Funnel Approach: Handles everything from initial outreach through qualification and nurturing until leads are sales-ready.
Industry Specialization: Deep expertise in technology, SaaS, and professional services sectors with vertical-specific messaging strategies.
Flexible Engagement Terms: Options for project-based work or ongoing retainers with adjustable scope based on results.
Sales-Qualified Lead Focus: Emphasis on lead quality and sales readiness rather than volume metrics.
Best For
Mid-market to enterprise technology companies and SaaS businesses selling into North American markets. Particularly valuable when you need sales executives who can handle sophisticated conversations about technical products and complex value propositions.
Pricing
Custom pricing typically starts around $4,000 per month for ongoing programs. Project-based engagements and enterprise packages available at higher price points depending on scope and team size.
5. UpLead
Best for: Self-service B2B prospecting with verified contact data and real-time email verification.
UpLead is a B2B contact database platform offering access to verified business contacts with real-time email verification and detailed filtering options.
Where This Service Shines
UpLead’s 95% data accuracy guarantee sets it apart from many contact databases. Their real-time email verification means you’re not burning outreach attempts on bounced emails or outdated contacts. This verification happens at the moment you download a contact, ensuring maximum freshness.
The filtering capabilities let you build highly targeted lists. Beyond basic firmographic filters like company size and industry, you can filter by technologies used, funding status, and specific job titles. This precision targeting reduces wasted outreach on poor-fit prospects.
Key Features
95% Data Accuracy Guarantee: Confidence in contact quality with credits refunded for inaccurate data.
Real-Time Email Verification: Email addresses verified at download time, not from a static database, for higher deliverability.
Technographic and Firmographic Filters: Advanced filtering options including technologies used, funding rounds, and detailed company attributes.
Chrome Extension: LinkedIn integration allowing you to pull verified contact data directly from LinkedIn profiles.
CRM Integrations: Direct connections to major CRM platforms for seamless contact import and management.
Best For
Sales teams and marketers who prefer building their own prospect lists and running outreach campaigns in-house. Works well for companies with established sales processes who need reliable contact data rather than outsourced outreach services.
Pricing
Starts at $99 per month for 170 credits in the Essentials plan. Higher-tier plans offer more credits and additional features. Pay-per-contact model means you only pay for contacts you actually download.
6. Callbox
Best for: Multi-channel lead generation campaigns across calling, email, social media, and chat for global B2B companies.
Callbox is a lead generation company combining multiple outreach channels to generate leads for IT, healthcare, and professional services companies globally.
Where This Service Shines
Callbox’s multi-channel approach recognizes that prospects respond differently to various touchpoints. Their campaigns coordinate calling, email, social media engagement, and even chat outreach to maximize response rates. This omnichannel strategy often outperforms single-channel approaches by meeting prospects where they’re most receptive.
Their global reach with regional teams means they can execute campaigns across different time zones and markets effectively. If you’re expanding internationally or targeting prospects in multiple regions, their distributed team structure provides local market knowledge without sacrificing campaign coordination.
Key Features
Multi-Channel Outreach: Coordinated campaigns across phone, email, social media, and chat for comprehensive prospect engagement.
Global Reach: Regional teams across multiple continents enabling effective international lead generation campaigns.
Account-Based Marketing: Specialized ABM capabilities for targeting high-value accounts with coordinated multi-touch campaigns.
Event Marketing Support: Lead generation services specifically designed for pre-event, at-event, and post-event engagement.
Pipeline Management Tools: Integrated tools for tracking leads through the pipeline and measuring campaign effectiveness.
Best For
B2B companies in IT, healthcare, and professional services sectors that need multi-channel campaigns or international reach. Particularly valuable for companies running account-based marketing strategies or those needing event-related lead generation support.
Pricing
Custom pricing based on campaign scope, channels used, and geographic coverage. Programs typically start around $3,500 per month and scale based on complexity and volume requirements.
7. Apollo.io
Best for: Self-service sales intelligence combining a large B2B database with built-in engagement and automation tools.
Apollo.io is a sales intelligence and engagement platform combining B2B contact data with email sequencing, calling, and automation tools for self-service prospecting.
Where This Service Shines
Apollo.io consolidates multiple sales tools into one platform. Instead of using separate tools for contact data, email sequencing, and calling, everything lives in a single interface. This integration eliminates the friction of moving data between systems and enables faster prospecting workflows.
The buying intent signals feature provides intelligence on which companies are actively researching solutions in your category. This helps prioritize outreach toward prospects showing active interest rather than cold contacts, improving conversion rates and shortening sales cycles.
Key Features
Large B2B Contact Database: Access to millions of business contacts with detailed firmographic and contact information.
Built-In Email Sequences and Dialer: Complete engagement tools including automated email sequences and click-to-call functionality within the platform.
Buying Intent Signals: Intelligence on companies actively researching solutions, helping prioritize outreach to warm prospects.
LinkedIn Integration: Chrome extension for pulling contact data directly from LinkedIn and adding prospects to sequences.
Freemium Tier: Free plan available with limited features, allowing teams to test the platform before committing to paid plans.
Best For
Sales teams and individual sales reps who want an all-in-one prospecting platform rather than cobbling together multiple tools. Works particularly well for teams already using sequences and automation who need better contact data integrated into their workflow.
Pricing
Free tier available with basic features and limited contacts. Paid plans start at $49 per user per month for the Basic plan, with higher tiers offering more contacts, advanced features, and team collaboration tools.
8. SalesRoads
Best for: Complex B2B sales requiring 100% US-based appointment setting with experienced sales development representatives.
SalesRoads is an appointment setting company using American sales development representatives to book qualified meetings for companies with complex B2B sales cycles.
Where This Service Shines
SalesRoads’ commitment to 100% US-based SDRs addresses a common frustration with offshore appointment setting services. Their team understands American business culture, communicates with native fluency, and operates during standard US business hours when decision-makers are available.
The transparent call recording policy builds trust. You can listen to actual conversations your prospects are having with their SDRs, providing visibility into messaging effectiveness and qualification quality. This transparency helps identify coaching opportunities and ensures consistency with your brand voice.
Key Features
100% US-Based SDR Team: All sales development representatives based in the United States for cultural fit and communication quality.
Complex B2B Specialization: Experience handling sophisticated sales conversations for products with longer, more complex sales cycles.
Month-to-Month Contracts: Flexible engagement terms without long-term commitments, allowing you to scale up or down based on results.
Dedicated Account Strategist: Assigned strategist who works with you to optimize messaging and qualification criteria.
Transparent Call Recordings: Access to recordings of prospect conversations for quality assurance and training purposes.
Best For
B2B companies with complex, high-value sales cycles where conversation quality and prospect experience matter significantly. Most effective when selling sophisticated products or services that require consultative selling approaches and careful qualification.
Pricing
Typically ranges from $8,000-$12,000 per month for a dedicated SDR depending on call volume and campaign complexity. Higher pricing reflects the premium of US-based talent and specialized expertise.
9. Pearl Lemon Leads
Best for: LinkedIn-focused lead generation leveraging social selling and professional network outreach for B2B companies.
Pearl Lemon Leads is a LinkedIn-focused lead generation agency specializing in social selling, connection building, and outreach campaigns for B2B companies.
Where This Service Shines
Pearl Lemon Leads recognizes that LinkedIn operates differently from email or phone outreach. Their approach emphasizes building genuine professional relationships rather than aggressive sales pitches. This social selling methodology often generates warmer leads because prospects feel they’re connecting with a peer rather than being targeted by a salesperson.
The profile optimization service ensures your LinkedIn presence supports lead generation efforts. A well-optimized profile increases connection acceptance rates and establishes credibility before outreach even begins. This foundation work often gets overlooked but significantly impacts campaign performance.
Key Features
LinkedIn Outreach Specialization: Deep expertise in LinkedIn’s platform, algorithms, and best practices for connection building and engagement.
Profile Optimization Services: Complete LinkedIn profile overhaul to maximize credibility and connection acceptance rates.
Connection and Messaging Campaigns: Systematic approach to building connections and nurturing relationships through LinkedIn messaging.
Cold Email Secondary Channel: Email outreach as a complementary channel for prospects who don’t engage on LinkedIn.
Transparent Campaign Reporting: Clear metrics on connection requests sent, acceptance rates, responses, and meetings booked.
Best For
B2B companies where decision-makers are active on LinkedIn and value professional networking. Works particularly well for consultants, agencies, and professional services firms where relationship-building and thought leadership drive sales opportunities.
Pricing
LinkedIn-focused campaigns typically start around $2,500 per month for basic outreach services. More comprehensive packages including profile optimization, content creation, and multi-channel outreach run higher.
Making the Right Choice for Your Business
The lead generation service that works best for you depends on three critical factors: your business model, sales cycle complexity, and whether you need exclusive or shared leads.
For local service businesses, exclusive lead generation through PPC campaigns typically delivers the highest ROI. Shared lead marketplaces create bidding wars where you’re competing with multiple contractors for the same customer, driving down margins and conversion rates. Services like Clicks Geek that generate exclusive leads through custom campaigns eliminate this competition and give you first-mover advantage with every prospect.
B2B companies with complex sales cycles benefit most from appointment setting services or dedicated SDR teams. Services like CIENCE, Belkins, and SalesRoads handle the heavy lifting of prospecting and qualification, allowing your sales team to focus exclusively on closing deals. The investment in these services often pays for itself through increased sales productivity alone.
If you have an established sales process and prefer controlling outreach in-house, contact database platforms like UpLead or Apollo.io provide the raw materials for self-service prospecting. These tools work best when you have dedicated team members who can build lists, create sequences, and manage follow-up consistently.
Budget considerations matter, but focus on cost per qualified lead or cost per acquisition rather than monthly retainer alone. A $10,000 per month service that generates 20 sales-qualified leads might deliver better ROI than a $3,000 per month service that generates 100 unqualified contacts. Track actual revenue generated, not just lead volume.
The distinction between exclusive and shared leads cannot be overstated for local businesses. When you generate leads through your own campaigns, you control the customer relationship from first contact. When you buy shared leads, you’re often the third or fourth business contacting that prospect, significantly reducing conversion rates and forcing you to compete primarily on price.
Stop wasting your marketing budget on strategies that don’t deliver real revenue. Partner with a Google Premier Partner Agency that specializes in turning clicks into high-quality leads and profitable growth. Schedule your free strategy consultation today and discover how proven CRO and lead generation systems can scale your local business faster.
Want More Leads for Your Business?
Most agencies chase clicks, impressions, and “traffic.” Clicks Geek builds lead systems. We uncover where prospects are dropping off, where your budget is being wasted, and which channels will actually produce ROI for your business, then we build and manage the strategy for you.