We Just Need More Leads” — The Lie B2B Sales Teams Keep Telling Themselves
Why lead gen isn't your real problem — and what to fix instead
The Problem: “We just need more leads…”
If you work in B2B sales, you’ve probably said this more times than you can count.
“We’re missing target — we need more leads.”
“The SDR team is underperforming — not enough leads.”
“Marketing isn’t pulling their weight — the pipeline’s dry.”
On the surface, it makes sense. Without leads, there are no deals. Without deals, no revenue.
So what do most companies do? They throw bodies, budget, and bandwidth at the “lead gen problem.”
They double down on outbound.
Hire a fleet of SDRs.
Pay for more tools.
Launch new campaigns.
Start another podcast.
Fire the agency. Hire a new one.
But despite the energy, the leads stay inconsistent. The pipeline remains patchy. Quota becomes a coin toss.
And somewhere along the way, confidence erodes. The sales team starts working harder, not smarter. The strategy becomes "just hit the number however you can." Activity replaces clarity. Volume replaces quality.
This is the classic B2B lead gen trap:
Treating a systems issue like a volume issue.
The Insight: It’s not a leads problem. It’s a systems problem.
Let’s lift the lid on what’s really going on.
In most B2B sales teams, the root issue isn’t a lack of leads — it’s a lack of systemisation.
Here’s what we see in 9 out of 10 teams:
1. The ICP is vague or outdated
Your team might think they know who to sell to — but the personas are too broad, or worse, based on old assumptions. Marketing targets one type of company. Sales talks to another. And leadership wonders why conversion rates are so low.
2. Sales and Marketing aren’t aligned
Marketing hands off MQLs that sales says are useless. Sales doesn’t follow up properly. Nobody agrees on what a “qualified lead” actually is. This leads to finger-pointing instead of problem-solving.
3. CRM is a graveyard, not a growth tool
The CRM should be your single source of truth — but it’s often a mess. Duplicates, missing data, random notes, untracked comms. Some reps use it religiously; others avoid it entirely. Leadership can’t trust the reports, so forecasting becomes guesswork.
4. The sales process isn’t standardized
Ask three reps how they move a deal from discovery to close and you’ll get five answers. There’s no clear structure. No shared language. No system for qualification, follow-up, or objection handling.
5. There’s no closed-loop feedback
What happens to a lead after it’s handed off? How do we learn what worked and what didn’t? Most teams don’t know — because they’re not tracking feedback across the funnel.
The result? Even when leads do come in, they leak out.
You’re trying to fill a bucket that has no bottom.
The Outcome: You build a pipeline of chaos
Let’s look at what this systemic misalignment actually causes:
1. Inconsistent results
Some months you hit target. Others, you don’t. And no one really knows why. You can’t replicate success — because you don’t know what drove it.
2. Stress and burnout
Your sales team is working hard — but not smart. Reps are chasing the wrong leads. Spending time qualifying when they should be closing. Morale drops. Attrition rises.
3. Wasted marketing budget
Without clear targeting and feedback, marketing campaigns spray rather than aim. Ad spend goes up. Cost-per-lead skyrockets. And the sales team still says the leads are rubbish.
4. Unreliable forecasting
Leadership has no confidence in pipeline data. They either over- or under-invest in growth. Planning becomes a guessing game.
5. Slowed growth
Ultimately, the business can’t scale. You can’t grow a revenue engine if the gears don’t connect. And that’s what a good sales system is: an engine. Not a slot machine.
The Solution: Build the system before you chase the scale
So, what does work?
If you want reliable growth — not just in lead volume, but in revenue — you need a repeatable, measurable system.
Not more hustle. More structure.
Here’s how high-performing B2B sales teams fix their “lead gen problem” for good:
1. Define your ICP with absolute clarity
Stop selling to everyone. Start targeting the right someone.
Get crystal-clear on your ideal customer profile.
Use data to back it up: deal size, time to close, industry, pain points, tech stack.
Align your entire GTM team around that profile — marketing, sales, CS, leadership.
Tip: Start with your best existing customers. What do they have in common?
2. Build a shared qualification framework
Agree on what a qualified lead actually means.
Use a clear model: BANT, MEDDIC, or your own.
Train marketing and sales on the same criteria.
Set rules for handoff between stages (MQL → SQL → Opportunity).
Tip: Document the whole funnel and revisit it quarterly.
3. Clean up and commit to your CRM
No more excuses. Your CRM is your source of truth — treat it that way.
Audit the data.
Standardise fields, stages, and naming conventions.
Automate where you can (e.g. lead scoring, task reminders).
Train your team — and hold them accountable.
Tip: Build dashboards that show real activity, not vanity metrics.
4. Map and standardise your sales process
Sales shouldn’t feel like improv.
Document every stage: Discovery, Proposal, Negotiation, Close.
Create templates for outreach, follow-ups, and proposals.
Align tools and tech to support that process — not complicate it.
Tip: Create a Sales Playbook. One source. One voice.
5. Close the feedback loop
Make improvement a habit.
Run regular retros: What’s working? What’s not?
Track win/loss reasons.
Feed insights from Sales back to Marketing, Product, and Leadership.
Tip: Build a "Voice of the Sales Team" report monthly.
6. Measure what matters
Data is only useful if you act on it.
Track lead conversion by source and by rep.
Monitor time-in-stage to find friction.
Measure system adoption, not just outcomes.
Tip: Don’t just look at volume — focus on velocity and quality.
Case in Point: A Tale of Two Teams
Let’s contrast two fictional B2B sales teams:
Team A: The Hustlers
10 reps, all doing their own thing.
CRM is optional.
Weekly firefights to hit quota.
Lots of activity. Few results.
Team B: The System Builders
Defined ICP, shared scripts, and CRM discipline.
Marketing and Sales are aligned on MQL and SQL.
Sales process is structured, tracked, and continuously improved.
Guess who hits target consistently?
Guess whose pipeline is predictable?
Guess who scales without burnout?
Final Word: You don’t need more leads. You need better systems.
Let’s be clear: lead generation is important. But chasing more leads without fixing the system behind them is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Most B2B sales teams don’t have a lead problem. They have a systems problem.
Fix the system — and leads become leverage, not lifelines.
If you’re a sales leader or founder and this sounds familiar… you’re not alone.
You’re not failing — you’re just flying without instruments.
Start with structure. Start with strategy.
Then scale.
Want help building your B2B sales system?
That’s exactly what we do at CNVRG — helping B2B teams align strategy, systems, and sales to close the gap between tools and revenue.
Let’s talk.