What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Incoming Leads

Recently I worked with a company who had hired a new sales professional. He came with contacts, he came with connections but what he didn’t come with was the ability to convert those relationships into leads. Within two weeks of starting he began complaining about how he didn’t have enough leads coming in from marketing. I can’t tell you how often as a sales and business development consultant, Sales Professionals come up to me and say, “I don’t have enough leads. I need more. The company is not doing enough marketing.” Somehow they expect I will have a sympathetic ear to their plight!  They hope I will drop everything and go directly to management and demand more money for marketing programs so they can spend less time on those pesky sales calls, trade shows and networking events.

The Solution

After listening to their tales of woe and nodding my head sympathetically, I let them know I have a solution!

Get focused and start grinding it out.

There should be no expectation that you’re going to get all the leads you need to make your number every year. You were hired as a Sales Professional. Be one. Elevate your game. Focus on your target clients. Focus on your target buyers. Focus on your target industries and get the right activity at the right levels with the right prospects.

Steve the Insurance Guy

Not sexy enough? Let me tell you a story about Steve. Steve sells insurance. Steve is focused. Monday through Friday he is relentless. He goes to networking events; he fills his calendar and works late into the night.  He made a decision (there is that “d” word again) early is his career that he would stay focused.  The results? Steve is now the youngest partner in the history of this 100+ year old insurance brokerage.  Steve spends the weekend focused on his family, not on work, and has all the leads he needs coming in from client and partner referrals.  Guess what?  He still grinds it out, generates his own opportunities and doesn’t assume inbound leads will always fill his pipeline.

Leads Are a Gift

Remember, leads are a gift. Sometimes a gift to help get you jump started when you first get going in sales.  Sometimes leads are a gift to smooth out the bumps and help you make your number.  But if you stay focused like our friend Steve, the leads you receive will be a gift to add on to your quota, blow out your number and make you a superstar.