(Click Here to Download The Lead Generation Assessment Connor Shares in This Episode)
Are more leads really the answer to growing my business?
When revenue stalls, many business owners jump to the same conclusion: We need more leads. It feels logical. More leads mean more opportunities, and more opportunities should mean more sales, right?
But what if that’s not the real problem?
On the latest episode of Endless Customers, Connor DeLaney, Lead Sales Consultant at IMPACT, tackles this common assumption head-on. He shared the powerful insights and practical tools he uses to uncover the real roadblocks to business growth—spoiler alert: they’re not always what you think.
If you’ve been chasing more leads but still not seeing the growth you hoped for, this article will show you why the problem might lie elsewhere—and how you can fix it.
Connor shared a telling stat: about 75% of the leads that come through IMPACT’s website claim their biggest challenge is needing “more leads.” It’s a sentiment echoed by business owners everywhere.
But as Connor explained, focusing only on the quantity of leads often distracts from deeper issues. “For a lot of businesses,” he noted, “the real challenge isn’t getting more leads—it’s understanding what’s getting in the way of closing the ones they already have.”
This “more leads” mindset can lead teams to overlook foundational gaps in their processes, sales effectiveness, or even the way they qualify prospects. The first step, Connor says, is to dig deeper and paint a clearer picture of where the bottleneck really is.
When a prospect approaches IMPACT and says they need more leads, Connor’s first move is to investigate. He asks questions like:
The goal is to identify the current state of the business’s lead generation and sales process. “You can’t solve a problem,” Connor explained, “until you know what it really is. Sometimes, the issue isn’t lead volume—it’s a low close rate, misaligned targeting, or even a sales team struggling to turn leads into revenue.”
Connor developed a Lead Generation Assessment to help uncover these insights. This simple tool is designed to visualize where a business stands today versus where it wants to go, making it easier to identify gaps and prioritize solutions.
Connor’s Lead Generation Assessment focuses on five key metrics:
By comparing the current state (where the business is now) with the future state (where they want to be), the assessment highlights the most significant gaps.
For example, one company Connor worked with realized that their monthly lead volume was fine, but their close rate of 5% was holding them back. By focusing on improving the effectiveness of their sales process rather than generating more leads, they could dramatically increase revenue without overloading their pipeline.
Through countless conversations with business owners, Connor has identified three common reasons why leads don’t turn into customers:
Each of these factors requires a different solution, but all point to the importance of better qualifying leads and focusing on the right prospects.
One of the most valuable insights from Connor’s approach is the importance of cross-departmental alignment.
“Marketing, sales, and leadership need to be in the room together,” he emphasized. “If marketing is bringing in leads that sales can’t close, or leadership is setting unrealistic goals, it’s impossible to move the business forward.”
By aligning around the same data and agreeing on the priority problems to solve, teams can work more effectively toward their goals.
So, what’s the takeaway? As Connor put it: “You don’t always need more leads. You need the right leads, a clear sales process, and a strategy for turning opportunities into revenue.”
Connor’s Lead Generation Assessment helps businesses step back, take stock of their current efforts, and pinpoint the changes that will have the biggest impact. Whether it’s improving close rates, shortening the sales cycle, or increasing the average deal size, success often lies in optimizing what you’re already doing, not just chasing more volume.
If you’re a business owner struggling to hit your revenue goals, ask yourself:
The answers to these questions could unlock new growth opportunities—and help you build a healthier, more sustainable business.
Want to try Connor’s Lead Generation Assessment for yourself? Download it HERE!
Connor Delaney is a Lead Sales Consultant at IMPACT who helps businesses understand how they can create the growth they have always dreamed of.
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How do I know if I need more leads or better conversion?
Track your lead volume and close rate for 90 days. If your close rate is low, focus on conversion first.
What should I measure besides leads?
Close rate, average deal size, sales cycle length, and customer lifetime value.
How can I improve my close rate?
Strengthen qualification, address objections early, and align marketing content with sales conversations.
Should sales and marketing meet regularly?
Yes. Monthly alignment meetings are a minimum. Weekly check-ins during campaigns work best.
What tools help qualify leads better?
CRM lead scoring, sales call recordings, and buyer self-assessment tools.