Let’s be brutally honest: most B2B lead generation is just expensive list building with extra steps. You’re burning budget on campaigns that generate “leads” who will never buy anything, while your sales team complains that marketing leads are trash.
Sound familiar? Good. Because admitting you have a problem is the first step to fixing it.
The Lead Generation Lie Everyone Believes
Here’s the biggest lie in B2B marketing: “More leads equals more revenue.”
This is complete nonsense, and every honest salesperson will tell you so.
80% of marketers admit their lead generation efforts are only somewhat effective, but instead of questioning the fundamental approach, they just try to generate more low-quality leads faster.
It’s like trying to solve a drinking problem by switching to cheaper alcohol.
The real problem isn’t lead quantity—it’s that most “leads” aren’t actually interested in buying anything. They just wanted your white paper.
Why Your Lead Generation Strategy Isn’t Working
Reason #1: You’re Bribing People to Pretend to Care
“Download our guide to [insert buzzword] and transform your business!”
I get how you fall into this trap, but it’s time to end it.
You’re literally paying to create fake demand from people who will never buy from you. Then you’re surprised when these “leads” don’t convert.
Companies like BMC Software figured this out and focused on their existing database instead of chasing new traffic. Result? 5,000 real leads and a 49.5% conversion rate. Because they focused on people who already knew they existed.
Reason #2: You’re Optimizing for the Wrong Thing
Most B2B marketers optimize for cost per lead.
It’s like optimizing a restaurant for the cheapest ingredients instead of the best food. You’ll hit your numbers and lose all your customers.
One company was targeting countries whose traffic had no value and optimizing broad keywords that weren’t converting. They had great cost-per-lead metrics and zero revenue to show for it.
Smart marketers optimize for cost per customer, not cost per lead.
Reason #3: You’re Ignoring Basic Human Psychology
Here’s a fun fact: 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up attempt.
Here’s another fun fact: It usually takes 5-8 touchpoints before someone is ready to buy.
You’re generating leads, contacting them once, and when they don’t immediately throw money at you, it’s easy to assume they’re “bad leads.”
They’re not bad leads. You can be better at follow-up.
The Lead Generation Myths That Are Costing You Money
Myth #1: “We Need More Traffic”
You need better traffic. Traffic from countries with no purchasing power or from people searching for free alternatives isn’t helping your revenue.
Quality over quantity isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the only thing that matters.
Myth #2: “Our Sales Team Should Handle All Follow-Up”
Wrong. Your sales team should handle qualified prospects who are ready to buy. Everything else should be nurtured by marketing.
Studies show that misalignment between sales and marketing can result in 10% annual revenue loss.
Myth #3: “Personalization is Too Expensive”
This is backwards thinking. Generic campaigns are more expensive because they don’t work.
71% of B2B prospects expect personalized messages, and companies that prioritize it see 40% higher revenue. The cost of not personalizing is higher than the cost of personalizing.
Myth #4: “We Can Automate Our Way to Better Leads”
Automation amplifies what you’re already doing. If you’re already generating bad leads, automation will help you generate bad leads faster.
58% of B2B professionals identify data quality as the top factor for automation success, but most companies automate before fixing their data.
Fix your strategy first. Automate second.
What Actually Works (The Contrarian Approach)
Contrarian Strategy #1: Start With Your Best Customers, Not Your Biggest Audience
Instead of casting the widest net possible, start with your best customers and work backwards.
- Who are they?
- Where did they come from?
- What convinced them to buy?
- How long did it take?
Then build campaigns that attract more people exactly like them.
Account-based marketing works because it flips the traditional funnel. Instead of generating leads and hoping some convert, you identify accounts you want and create campaigns specifically for them.
Contrarian Strategy #2: Make It Harder to Become a Lead
This sounds insane, but hear me out.
The easier it is to become a lead, the less likely that lead is to buy anything. Friction filters out the tire-kickers and window shoppers.
Instead of “Download our free guide,” try “Request our comprehensive analysis of your industry” or “Apply for a strategic consultation.”
Better leads, fewer leads, more revenue.
Contrarian Strategy #3: Stop Measuring Marketing Success by Marketing Metrics
Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) are vanity metrics that make marketers feel good and salespeople frustrated.
Start measuring:
- Revenue per visitor
- Customer acquisition cost by channel
- Sales cycle length by source
- Customer lifetime value by source
If a channel generates 1,000 leads that never buy anything, it’s not a good channel. If a channel generates 10 leads that all become customers, it’s a great channel.
Math isn’t hard. Most marketers just choose to ignore it.
The Hard Conversations You Need to Have
With Your Sales Team:
“What percentage of marketing leads actually turn into customers?” (Be prepared for an uncomfortable answer.)
With Your CEO:
“Are we optimizing for leads that make us feel good or leads that make us money?” (This might hurt.)
With Yourself:
“Am I generating leads to justify my job or to grow the business?” (Ouch.)
Your Lead Generation Reality Check
Week 1: The Brutal Audit
- Track 100 of your most recent leads through to customer conversion
- Calculate your actual lead-to-customer conversion rate
- Interview your sales team about lead quality (anonymously, so they’ll be honest)
Week 2: The Source Analysis
- Identify which channels produce your best customers (not most leads)
- Calculate revenue per lead by channel
- Find your worst-performing channels and kill them
Week 3: The Message Test
- Send your current lead magnets to your best customers
- Ask: “Would this have convinced you to talk to us?”
- If the answer is no, fix your offers
Week 4: The Follow-Up Fix
- Map your current follow-up sequence
- Compare it to your actual sales cycle length
- Build nurture campaigns that match how people actually buy
The Uncomfortable Truth About Modern Lead Generation
Most B2B lead generation has become a sophisticated way to waste money while feeling productive.
You’re generating reports full of green numbers that represent red revenue.
You’re optimizing campaigns that optimize nothing.
You’re measuring success by activities that don’t drive success.
And deep down, you know it’s not working. But it’s easier to blame “bad leads” than to admit your strategy is fundamentally flawed.
The Bottom Line
Good lead generation isn’t about generating more leads. It’s about generating better leads.
It’s not about casting wider nets. It’s about fishing in better ponds.
It’s not about optimizing cost per lead. It’s about optimizing revenue per visitor.
Most importantly, it’s not about making your metrics look good. It’s about making your business grow.
Your leads don’t suck because the market is tough or because your salespeople are lazy.
Your leads suck because your strategy sucks.
Fix the strategy. Fix the leads. Fix the revenue.
Marissa Homere 