BOTSOURCE | PRACTICAL HANDOFF CHECKLIST

Before you hand off lead research

**A good account list should show why a company belongs on it.** Use this checklist to define a small research assignment and judge the output.

- Write the three to five criteria that make a company a fit. Separate requirements from preferences.
- List exclusions, such as locations you do not serve, existing customers, competitors or companies below your minimum size.
- Specify what one completed record includes: company, website, relevant category, evidence for fit and any unresolved questions.
- Require a source link and observation date for every important fact. Treat an estimate as an estimate.
- Set rules for missing or conflicting information. “Unknown” is a valid result; an invented answer is not.
- Decide which public business sources are acceptable and what information should not be collected.
- Review five sample companies before approving a larger batch. Mark each accepted, rejected or needing clarification, with the reason.
- Decide who owns final acceptance and how corrections should be returned.

**Sample acceptance record**

| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| Required criteria supported by sources | Yes / No / Unclear |
| Exclusions checked | Yes / No |
| Required fields complete or clearly unknown | Yes / No |
| Duplicate account | Yes / No |
| Reviewer decision and reason | [Complete] |

**Useful measure:** accepted accounts divided by accounts reviewed, alongside review time per account. A larger list with more errors may create more work.

To discuss sourcing and onboarding an AI lead research specialist, visit [Botsource](https://www.botsource.ai/roles/lead-research-specialist).