The 25-Point Agency Pipeline Audit Checklist

1. Do you have at least 3 active lead sources beyond referrals? (LinkedIn, cold email, newsletter, events, partnerships, etc.)

2. Can you predict within 20% how many new leads you'll get next month?

3. Have you generated at least one new client from outbound (cold email or LinkedIn outreach) in the last 90 days?

4. Do you have an email list of 500+ people who match your ICP?

5. Is someone (you or a team member) actively generating leads every single week — not just when pipeline gets dry?

Section Score: ___ / 5

→ 0-2: You're referral-dependent. One client loss = revenue crisis.

→ 3-4: You have the foundation but it's not consistent.

→ 5: Your lead sources are diversified and predictable.

6. Do you follow up with every lead within 24 hours of first contact?

7. Do you have a defined follow-up sequence (not just "I'll circle back when I remember")?

8. Can you tell me right now how many leads are in your pipeline that haven't received a follow-up in the last 30 days?

9. Do you re-engage past clients and closed-lost leads at least quarterly?

10. Is your CRM (or pipeline tracker) updated within 48 hours of every client interaction?

Section Score: ___ / 5

→ 0-2: You have $50K-$200K sitting unfollowed in your pipeline right now.

→ 3-4: You follow up, but it's manual and inconsistent.

→ 5: Your follow-up system runs whether you think about it or not.

11. Do you send cold emails from a secondary domain (not your main business domain)?

12. Are your sending domains properly configured with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

13. Do you verify your email lists before sending (bounce rate under 3%)?

14. Do you send fewer than 50 cold emails per inbox per day?

15. Do you A/B test subject lines and body copy on every campaign?

Section Score: ___ / 5

→ 0-2: Your outbound is either nonexistent or actively damaging your sender reputation.

→ 3-4: You have the basics but you're leaving performance on the table.

→ 5: Your outbound infrastructure is built to scale.

Tools we recommend:

→ Cold email: Instantly

→ Email verification: Reoon

16. Do you post on LinkedIn at least 3x per week as the founder?

17. Do your LinkedIn posts include a mix of value content AND direct-response posts (lead magnets, case studies, CTAs)?

18. Do you send at least 50 connection requests per week to ICP-fit prospects?

19. Do you engage with prospects' content before reaching out to them?

20. Do you have a follow-up sequence for people who accept your connection request?

Section Score: ___ / 5

→ 0-2: LinkedIn is a business card, not a revenue channel for you.

→ 3-4: You're present but not systematic.

→ 5: LinkedIn is actively generating pipeline for you.

Tool we recommend:

→ LinkedIn outreach: HeyReach

21. Do you have a newsletter that goes out at least weekly?

22. Do you have a welcome email sequence for new subscribers (3+ emails)?

23. Do you have at least one lead magnet that drives email signups?

24. Do cold leads who don't convert have a way to stay in your orbit (newsletter, content, retargeting)?

25. Do you track which newsletter subscribers engage most and prioritize them for outbound?

Section Score: ___ / 5

→ 0-2: Every lead that doesn't convert immediately is lost forever.

→ 3-4: You have pieces of a nurture system but they're not connected.

→ 5: Your nurture engine turns cold leads into warm pipeline over time.

Tool we recommend:

→ Newsletter: beehiiv

You have a real system. The opportunity is optimization — A/B testing, scaling what works, plugging small gaps. You're ahead of 90% of agency founders.

You have some pieces in place, but they're not connected. The flywheel isn't spinning. You're probably leaving $100K+ on the table annually from missed follow-ups and inconsistent outbound.

You're relying too heavily on 1-2 lead sources, and your follow-up is inconsistent. The feast-or-famine cycle is real for you. The good news: every point you improve is direct revenue.

Your pipeline is a prayer, not a system. You're one client loss away from a revenue crisis. The good news: the biggest gains come from fixing the fundamentals, and that starts now.

You don't need more leads. You need a system.

The Demand Department builds done-for-you GTM engines for agency founders — LinkedIn content, LinkedIn outreach, cold email, and a newsletter, all running and compounding so you can stop being the sales team.

→ Book a free pipeline audit call

We'll walk through your specific score, identify the 3 highest-impact fixes, and show you exactly how the system works. No pitch deck. Just a conversation.