Before addressing that question, let me ask another.
What is a lead? Is it the name on a list you bought from a content aggregator for $23? Is it the person who signed up for your webinar this week? Is it someone who swiped their badge at the tradeshow you attended last month?
While all of these scenarios have potential, none could be called a lead. Just try to pass them on to your field sales team and you’ll see. They won’t get followed up.
Why? Because the chances are pretty low—probably 3% to 4% at best—that any of these names are bonafide opportunities if you are a B2B company with a complex sales process. Sales won’t spend the time it takes to cull through 100 so-called leads for 3 to 4 good ones.
Which means those “leads” land in a black hole, and the money spent to generate them