About the episode:

(Click Here to Download The Lead Generation  Assessment Connor Shares in This Episode)

When business owners feel stuck or their revenue isn’t where they want it to be, the first solution many turn to is simple: “We need more leads.” It seems logical, doesn’t it? More leads equal more opportunities, and more opportunities equal more sales. But is that always true?

Connor DeLaney, Lead Sales Consultant at IMPACT, joined in on the latest episode of Endless Customers to tackle 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.

The Myth of “Just More Leads”

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.

Understanding the Bigger Picture

When a prospect approaches IMPACT and says they need more leads, Connor’s first move is to investigate. He asks questions like:

How are you generating leads today?
What does your sales process look like?
How many leads are you getting monthly, and how many are converting into customers?

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.

A Simple Tool for Diagnosing the Problem

Connor’s Lead Generation Assessment focuses on five key metrics:

Monthly Leads – How many new leads are you bringing in?
Annual Leads – What does lead generation look like over a full year, accounting for seasonality?
Close Rate – What percentage of leads convert into paying customers?
Average Deal Size – What’s the typical revenue per customer?
Sales Cycle Length – How long does it take to close a deal?

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.

Common Roadblocks to Making the Sale

Through countless conversations with business owners, Connor has identified three common reasons why leads don’t turn into customers:

Price – The cost is higher than the prospect’s budget or perceived value.
Fit – The product or service isn’t the right solution for their needs.
Competition – Another company wins the business.

Each of these factors requires a different solution, but all point to the importance of better qualifying leads and focusing on the right prospects.

Why Alignment Matters

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.

Rethinking Success

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.

The Path Forward

If you’re a business owner struggling to hit your revenue goals, ask yourself:

Are we focused on quality leads, or just quantity?
Is our sales team equipped to close the opportunities we already have?
What changes can we make to improve outcomes at every stage of the funnel?

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!

Connect with Connor

Connor Delaney is a Lead Sales Consultant at IMPACT who helps businesses understand how they can create the growth they have always dreamed of. 

Learn more about Connor

Connect with Connor on LinkedIn

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