What does an AI agent for lead qualification cost?

Building your own AI agent for lead qualification: how to go about it

You build an AI agent for lead qualification in seven steps. The first four are thinking work, with no technology involved. Those are the steps that decide whether your agent brings in good leads.

Step 1. Decide what a good lead is

An agent can only judge what you've defined beforehand. Look at your best customers from the past year and what they had in common: what they were looking for, where they were based, when they wanted something and whether the budget fitted. Capture that in three to five criteria.

Step 2. Write out the questions

Turn each criterion into a question you'd also ask on the phone. So not "Select your property type", but "What kind of home do you have?". Keep it to four or five questions, because every extra question is a point where someone drops off. Ask for contact details only at the end.

Step 3. Decide what happens after the conversation

A warm lead gets an appointment in the calendar straight away. A lukewarm lead gets information and is passed on to your team. A lead that isn't a fit gets a friendly reply. Also decide when the agent brings in a colleague, for example for a complaint or a question it can't answer.

Step 4. Gather the knowledge

Put what you offer, the area you cover, the questions customers ask most and how you work into one document. Include what the agent mustn't say, too, such as prices or delivery times. If something isn't in the document, the agent should say so honestly rather than guess.

Step 5. Choose your tool

The most accessible route is a no-code platform such as Voiceflow. You build the conversation flow visually and put the agent on your website as a chat. If you want more freedom, use an automation tool such as n8n, Make or Zapier to connect your form or chat to a language model from, say, OpenAI or Anthropic. That route does take more technical know-how. Check first what your current CRM or chat software can already do, as more and more packages come with AI features built in.

Step 6. Write the agent's instructions

The instructions, also called the prompt, determine how the agent behaves. Describe who the agent is, which questions it asks, what it mustn't do and what it does with each type of lead. For an installer, it might look like this:

You are the digital assistant of [company name], an installation company in [region]. Ask one question at a time: what the visitor is looking for, what kind of home they have, where it is and when they want the installation. Keep your answers short and friendly. Never mention prices or delivery times. If the home is in our area and the visitor wants something within six months, offer a consultation.

Have the agent write a short summary for your team after each conversation, too. That way your colleague knows straight away who they're dealing with.

Step 7. Test, measure and adjust

Before going live, test the agent with real enquiries from your inbox, including the odd ones. Check that appointments and details end up correctly in your calendar and CRM. For the first few weeks after launch, read every conversation and look at where people drop off and where the agent falls short. If your offering or way of working changes, update the instructions and the knowledge document as well.

An AI agent pays off when the revenue from the leads you're missing now is higher than what the agent costs. Do the sum for your own business:

What does an AI agent for lead qualification cost?

The cost of an AI agent for lead qualification comes in two parts: a one-off setup and a fixed monthly fee.

An AI agent for lead qualification works best for businesses that regularly get enquiries the team can't always follow up straight away.

Installers. Quote requests for a heat pump, solar panels or air conditioning often come in while the engineers are out on jobs. The agent asks about the type of home and what the customer wants up front, so you call back with the full picture.

Furniture and home stores. Visitors have questions about products, delivery times or a showroom appointment, in the evening too. The agent answers them and books the visit straight away.

Estate agents. Someone who wants to request a viewing on a Sunday evening doesn't want to wait until Monday. The agent asks what they're looking for and books the viewing there and then.

Builders and renovation firms. Budgets and timelines vary widely between renovation enquiries. The agent asks about them up front, so your time goes to the projects that fit.

Event venues. An enquiry without a date, number of guests or type of event means emailing back and forth. The agent asks for those details straight away, so you can send a proposal right off.

Car dealers. The agent answers questions about stock, asks about a possible part-exchange and books a test drive.

Boat dealers. Buyers often take their time looking around, and outside office hours. The agent asks about the type of boat and the budget, and books a viewing when the buyer is ready.

At STAIBL, an AI agent for lead qualification costs from €750 to set up and from €100 a month after that. What it costs you exactly depends a lot on your situation: the channels, the integrations and how you handle leads now.

Our ConversieBooster does this on your website. It approaches visitors at the right moment, asks the right questions and books appointments straight into your team's calendar.

The easiest thing is to book a call with Stan. You can do that below.