A lot of leads. A lot of effort. Zero customers.
This scenario is more common than it seems, and it is not always about "bad leads". Often, the problem lies in what happens after the acquisition. Here's why your leads aren't converting... and how to fix it.
1. Align marketing and sales (for real)
One of the most common misconceptions is that marketing and sales work as watertight compartments. Marketing launches campaigns without knowing what kind of lead sales really needs. And sales discards opportunities without giving feedback on what works or doesn't work.
The solution starts by defining together what a "qualified lead" is. But not only that: establish a constant feedback channel to adjust messages, forms and tactics according to what actually converts. When both teams are rowing in the same direction, it shows.
2. You do not measure each stage of the funnel (well).
Sometimes the problem is not the lead, but what happens between the first click and the meeting. If you don't know what percentage of leads reach each stage, you can't know where the funnel breaks down. Do they send out forms but don't reply to the follow-up? Do you have meetings that don't progress to a proposal?
Measuring every step allows you to detect bottlenecks, adjust processes and automate what is holding back conversion. It's not about having a perfect funnel, it's about understanding how it behaves and where you can improve.
Your message doesn't connect (or convert).
You can have the best product in the world, but if you don't know how to communicate it, nobody is going to buy it. Many campaigns fail because the message is not aligned with what the customer needs or values at that moment. The copy is generic, technical or focused on the company rather than the customer.
The solution lies in testing. Before scaling any campaign, test different communication angles, copy and creative. What seems like a small adjustment can reduce CPL (cost per lead) drastically and improve conversion.
4. You are aiming too wide
Lots of traffic. Lots of leads. But little real purchase intent. This is one of the most common (and expensive) mistakes we see: launching campaigns with too open a network. In the end, you end up attracting people who may be interested, but don't have the profile, budget or urgency to become a customer.
To solve this, the key is to sharpen your aim. Instead of talking to the whole market, focus on the profiles that really need your solution and can afford it. If you are in B2B, consider working with a list of target accounts and building an ABM (Account-Based Marketing) strategy. The more specific your segmentation, the more likely you are to attract leads that convert.
5. You don't do retargeting (or you do it badly).
Not all leads convert the first time. What's more, most of them need several impacts to make a decision. If you are not retargeting (or only doing it with generic campaigns), you are missing a great opportunity.
A good retargeting strategy can recover lukewarm leads and convert them into real opportunities. Personalise messages according to the stage of the funnel and accompany the lead with useful content until they are ready to take the plunge.
6. Your onboarding is in trouble
Sometimes they do convert... but you lose them right after. This also affects your CAC (cost of acquisition). If a customer unsubscribes in the first few days, all that effort and budget goes down the drain.
Therefore, your funnel does not end with the sale. Onboarding should be designed to build trust, resolve doubts and activate the customer as soon as possible. A good initial experience multiplies retention and reduces your CAC effective.
What next?
If you are attracting leads but not converting customers, don't keep spending more without reviewing the funnel. Often the solution is not to do more, but to do it better.
Do you need help to diagnose and optimise your acquisition and conversion strategy? At Lebowski we can help you. Write to us at and we tell you how.