A lead is not a form fill. A qualified lead is someone sales would thank you for sending. Until that sentence is true, more volume just makes a louder queue.
Write the definition with sales
Sit with the people who take the call. Ask which inquiries they wish they had more of, and which ones they delete. Turn that into a checklist: fit, intent, timing, and the information you need to route them.
- Fit: they are the kind of customer you can serve well.
- Intent: they asked for something specific, not a brochure.
- Timing: there is a reason to talk in the next few weeks.
- Context: the form captured enough to start a real conversation.
Measure the handoff
Track how many leads sales accepts, not how many the ad platform reports. If acceptance drops when spend rises, the campaign is buying the wrong attention. Fix the offer or the audience before you scale.