Your lead conversation rates are in the toilet. You’ve attempted to address the issue by rotating through different lead providers, different media outlets, and different messaging. But no matter what you do, your lead conversions continue to slip. Perhaps you’ve doubled down on the numbers game: lower conversion rates simply mean you need more leads in the funnel. Or maybe you’ve gotten more aggressive with your internal nurture and BDR outreach, hammering incoming MQLs with emails and “personalized” scripted outreach.
If you’re wondering why your MQLs are not converting, you’re not alone. Old marketing playbooks aren’t as effective as they used to be because buyer culture has fundamentally changed. Buying decisions are more complex, involve more people, have greater visibility, and take place over a much longer timeframe.
The problem with lead-based marketing cultures: missed opportunities, low conversion
Lead-based marketing culture fixates on flawed metrics that focus on magically getting a single name that will unlock an opportunity. They present an “easy” way to equate marketing activities with sales outcomes. However, even when lead-oriented strategies bring in high volumes of MQLs, sifting through those leads tends to be a drain on marketing and sales resources with little payoff: only 1% of leads will make it from the top of the funnel to the bottom