Short answer: An exclusive lead goes to one business; a shared lead goes to several, who then compete for the same customer. Which suits you depends on how quickly you can follow up, your margins and, above all, how the supplier defines ‘exclusive’. Ask for that definition in writing, along with the criteria, the age of the enquiry on delivery and the claims policy.
What exclusive and shared actually mean
With a shared lead, several businesses receive the same enquiry, so the requester may be called by more than one company. With an exclusive lead there is a single recipient and, ideally, the requester knows which business will be in touch.
‘Exclusive’ is not a protected term. For one supplier it means one buyer, full stop; for another it means one buyer for a set period, or a limited number of buyers. Read the terms, not just the product name.
Questions to put to the supplier
- How many businesses receive the same enquiry, and over what period?
- Is the same requester offered again later, for example after a few weeks?
- Has the requester agreed to their details being passed to your business by name?
- Does the enquiry also end up in other channels the supplier uses?
- What happens if you spot a duplicate delivery?
At Klantwerf, an enquiry is exclusive when it is sold to one buyer and not offered to a second buyer for the same project. A duplicate delivery by Klantwerf to the same buyer for the same project within 90 days falls under the proposed claims policy.
Criteria and freshness matter as much
An exclusive enquiry that does not match your criteria is of little use. Check what is confirmed: is the requester the owner or authorised, what type of project, which area, what timeline? Ask which details were simply declared by the requester and which were checked by phone. A declared floor area or budget is an indication, not a measurement.
Freshness is the time between the enquiry and its delivery to you. The longer it takes, the more likely the requester is already talking to someone else. Ask for the maximum age on delivery and whether the enquiry date is shown in the record.
Price, follow-up and claims
An exclusive enquiry usually costs more per unit than a shared one, because the supplier sells it only once. Whether it works out cheaper or dearer per customer depends on your own results. There is no general percentage for this; measure it in a pilot.
Shared enquiries reward speed: whoever calls first often has the edge, and the requester may find the number of calls intrusive. Exclusive enquiries give you room for a proper conversation, but they still need prompt, professional follow-up.
At launch, Klantwerf proposes, for example, €39 (insulation), €59 (heat pumps) or €49 (home batteries) per exclusive qualified enquiry, excluding VAT, with claims accepted within 7 calendar days of delivery. These are proposals, not market rates.
What exclusivity does not guarantee
Exclusivity means the supplier does not sell the enquiry to anyone else. It does not mean the requester will not contact other companies themselves, will stay reachable or will buy from you. A requester who changes their mind is not proof of a poor enquiry.
If you are unsure, compare both models in a small, like-for-like trial: same trade, same area, same follow-up process, and an agreed way of recording the outcome.
Assumptions and limits
- This guide contains no conversion rates: they vary widely by business, area and period and have not been measured here.
- Klantwerf’s definition of exclusivity and its claims policy are proposals from a business still being set up, and are confirmed in writing before you start.
- The prices mentioned are launch proposals excluding VAT, not market rates.