The 3 Reasons Why Your Lead Gen Sucks

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3 Reasons Why Your Lead Gen Sucks

Dearest Reader,

We need to talk about your lead gen (because let’s be honest - it could probably use a tune-up). The good news? Fixing it isn’t rocket science, but it does take some hard truths. So, on with the show…

Here are the top 3 reasons your lead gen sucks (and what you can do to change that):

1. You don’t know who you serve best.

   If your target audience is “anyone with a pulse and a credit card,” we have a problem. (I get it, you don’t want to turn anyone away—but being everything to everyone makes you forgettable.)

   The Fix: Define your ideal client, their biggest pain points, and why you’re uniquely qualified to solve them. The clearer you are, the easier it is to stand out.

2. You’re chasing clients on life support.

   It might feel great to land a desperate client - often because they say yes so easily & you feel like a sales superstar - until you realize they’re too broke, too stressed, or too messy to stick around. Then that amazing 1 call close…well maybe you should have done a little more qualifying.

   The Fix: Look for signals of growth—job postings, new product launches, or even fresh ad tests. Or, focus on more established business with a problem you’ve identified from the outside…
   Agencies a great for businesses want to grow and those businesses can actually pay you to help them do it. (Crazy idea, no?)

3. You’re not showing the value of talking to you.

   Nobody’s gonna jump on a call after an uninspired “Let’s chat” email. If you’re asking someone to take a meeting, they need a MF’in CRYSTAL CLEAR reason to invest their time. And, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, “hearing your pitch” isn’t a good use of anyone’s time.

   The Fix: Offer something tangible (a free creative sample, new insights, or even competitor intel). Make it about what they’ll get out of the call, not what you want to sell. This is the sale before the sale… I call it the engagement offer. Keep this in the front of your mind - “Show me you know me” - your engagement offer should be something truly relevant to them.

Here’s the “stop sucking” takeaway:

Lead gen works when:

• You know exactly who you’re talking to (and why).

• You qualify leads who are ready to grow—not just survive.

• You make every touchpoint valuable (before the sale even happens).

Watch Me Rant About This On YouTube

…and maybe subscribe while you are there?

If your lead gen feels like yelling into the void, it’s time to rethink your approach. Want some help? 👉 Book a call.

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This Week In The News:

• Is “Dystopian Nightmare” On YOUR Xmas List? Via the even-tempered and never sensational NY Post, Coca Cola is getting ripped for making use of AI in their holiday ads. OMFG - an ad that isn’t cinema verité - heavens - I’ve never heard such a thing! Check it for yourself. Seems like a pretty solid ad to me, and IDGAF that it’s AI, do you?

• Do You Have That In a Size AI? Again, from the tranquil pages of the NY Post (c’mon, the headlines grab me…gimme break) AI in advertising is causing another ruckus. This time, fashion site Mango is in the center of the controversy. (I am guessing that there is Mango + Coke collab on its way any minute…) Originally called out by AI-obsessed TikToker Marcos Angelides, Mango is using AI generated models to show its clothes. Angelides basically asserts that this is the same as retouching with Photoshop or any sort of post processing. I have to agree with him - a picture of a model is just a representation of an actual human. This is a picture on an actual non-human. I am not sure that I can get up in arms about AI in ads…I am much more concerned about the inevitable time when AI tells me that I am too flawed to be useful anymore and I must report to the recycling plant…

• New Ad Platform On The Rise: If you have kids, you know what Roblox is. And even more likely you have spend a pile on Robux - the digital currency of the Roblox realm. (My kiddos are on a monthly subscription…le sigh…). Via Reuters, Roblox is getting serious about in-world advertising. They’ve hired former Roku ad exec Louqman Parampath to lead the further development of ads in the virtual worlds of Roblox. Lest you think this is just an ad platform for the Gen Alpha youngsters, Roblox has a ton of usage among Gen Z & Millennials with super-high MAU & dwell times. Worth keeping an eye on - more inventory is always a good thing.

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