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Key takeaways
- Sales and marketing usually can’t agree on what makes a “good lead”. They need to get on the same page with clear criteria and share one CRM to track everything.
- Marketing’s focused on hitting big numbers, but sales just wants quality leads — time to focus on proper buyer personas and a solid lead scoring system.
- Dumping cold leads on sales is a disaster. Warm them up with personalised emails, clever ads, and a clear next step before passing them over.
Does your sales team always grumble about “bad leads”?
It usually means one thing — marketing and sales are out of sync.
They rarely agree on what counts as a “good” lead, and it shows (just 30% get the nod).
Marketing’s job is to bring in leads.
And sales’ job is to seal the deal.
But when leads don’t convert, everyone gets frustrated.
Good news is it’s not a lost cause.
Let’s unpack why this happens and how to fix it.
Your sales team might even start liking those leads.
Maybe.
5 reasons lead quality drives sales nuts (and what to do)
#1 — When marketing talks, sales rolls their eyes
Marketing loves to talk about MQLs — people who downloaded a whitepaper, watched a webinar, or filled out a form.
Sales, on the other hand, focus on SQLs.
These are the people with budget, authority, need, and timing (BANT).
Basically, sales love people who are ready to buy, not just in “browse” mode.
So, which marketing thinks they’re handing over great leads…
Sales sees them as a waste of time.
And that’s when the grumbling starts.
If they’re not aligned, miscommunication happens.
That means you need to make sure everyone agrees on what a “good lead” really is.
How to get sales and marketing in sync
- Get in a room and talk
Set up regular meetings where marketing and sales hash out what a “good” lead really means. Use real numbers like conversion rates. Get specific about what actions or traits scream “ready to buy”. - Pick a lead framework that works for you
Whether it’s BANT or your own custom checklist, make sure everyone agrees on what qualifies a lead as sales-ready. Focus on budget, job titles, behaviours, or buying timelines. Make it clear and stick to it.
- Use one CRM for both teams
Track every lead in one system that both teams can see. Sales knows where the leads came from, and marketing can see if they’re converting — or where they’re stalling. Add notes, updates, and tags to keep everyone in the loop. - Write it down in a clear agreement
Spell out what marketing will deliver and how fast sales needs to respond. If anything goes wrong, it’s easy to see where the problem is. Having it in writing keeps everyone accountable. - Check the process often
Review everything every quarter. Are leads converting? Are the criteria still solid? If not, change before things go off the rails. Stay ahead of the market and customer behaviour.
#2 — You’re chasing quantity over quality
Marketers love big numbers.
More organic traffic? Great.
More clicks? Even better.
More leads?
Amazing.
Well, not really.
If leads aren’t turning into customers, they’re just noise.
Sales doesn’t care how many eBooks were downloaded if no one’s ready to buy.
Marketing often gets pushed to hit big lead numbers.
So, they go wide, hoping quantity will turn into quality.
But it rarely does.
Sales just gets stuck with a list of people who aren’t even close to buying.
You need to shift the focus to quality over quantity.
Fewer bad leads mean fewer headaches for sales.
How to stop flooding sales with crap leads
- Focus on who’s actually buying
Dig into your data to find your top-converting audiences. Look at their demographics, behaviours, in-market segments, affinities, industries, and job roles. Then, see what they have in common. Regularly update this as you go. - Create buyer personas that don’t feel fake
Build personas based on real data and interviews with your best customers. Include specifics like their goals, challenges, and objections. Add things like which competitors they consider or what they’re interested in during the buying process. - Test your message till it clicks
Run A/B tests for everything — subject lines, ad copy, call-to-action buttons, and even the tone of your message. Use different content formats, like videos or infographics, to see what sticks. Keep tweaking until you find the sweet spot that gets your audience to take action. - Don’t hand over leads too soon
Create a lead-nurturing strategy with customised emails, retargeting ads, and exclusive offers. Map out content for every stage of the funnel, from awareness to decision-making. If they’re not opening emails, try different channels to keep them engaged. - Set up a scoring system
Use a lead scoring system that tracks actions like website visits, demo requests, or engagement with specific emails. Add points for actions that signal interest. Subtract points for inactivity. Tie it to your CRM so sales can see exactly why a lead is ready.
#3 — Marketing isn’t listening to sales feedback
Sales hears it all — every objection, every “not interested,” and every excuse.
They know when a lead is serious.
They can sniff out people who are just window-shopping.
But too often, marketing tunes this out.
Instead of adapting, they keep running the same campaigns.
This leads to more bad leads.
Sales feels unheard.
Marketing feels stuck.
And the blame game kicks off again.
To fix this, set up a feedback loop.
This lets sales share why leads aren’t converting.
Based on that, marketing should be able to adjust their gameplan.
Feedback’s important.
But, of course, it only works if both sides actually act on it.
How to use sales feedback to kill bad leads for good
- Hold regular post-mortem meetings
Set monthly or quarterly sessions to review leads that didn’t convert. Dive into specifics — was it timing, budget, or something else? Get both teams involved to brainstorm tweaks for future campaigns. - Create a real-time feedback channel
Use Slack, Teams, or any tool that works for your team. Sales should be able to instantly flag when they’re seeing issues with lead quality. It should be easy to chat about objections they’re hearing or which leads they think were a win. Make it a two-way conversation. - Analyse CRM data deeply
Go beyond just tracking lead performance. Look at where unqualified leads are dropping off in the funnel. Are they bouncing after the first call? Ignoring follow-ups? Marketing can use this insight to adjust targeting and nurture strategies. - Use closed-loop reporting
Integrate your marketing tools and CRM so you can track the full lifecycle of a lead. This makes it easier to see which campaigns consistently generate low-quality leads and which bring in winners.
#4 — Sales is out of the loop on lead gen
Sales knows exactly what makes people buy — and what makes them walk away.
These are useful insights to improve messaging.
But if marketing isn’t joining sales calls or checking deal notes, they’re guessing instead of knowing.
But when sales and marketing work together, they create content that speaks to what people care about.
They tackle objections upfront.
When sales helps shape lead gen, you get better leads.
It’s pretty simple, really.
The more involved sales is in lead gen, the better the leads will be.
How to make sales a partner, not a spectator
- Get sales to review your campaigns
Before launching a new campaign, run the messaging, CTAs, and assets by sales. Ask them if it connects with what they’re hearing in the field. It’s a quick way to avoid creating campaigns that will flop. - Use sales’ objections list
Create content specifically addressing the top objections sales hears. Write blog posts, FAQs, or videos that show how your product solves problems. For example, if pricing is an issue, create content around ROI or cost comparisons. - Create a shared playbook
Set up one place where both teams can stash insights, templates, and high-performing content. Keep it fresh — update it with new data from recent sales wins or campaigns that crushed it. Add cheat sheets like objection-handling tips or top buyer personas so everyone’s on the same page. - Share the numbers
Keep both teams in the loop with regular updates on lead performance. Let marketing show how their efforts are paying off. Lt sales share how leads are moving through the funnel. Celebrate the wins — like when a lead turns into a deal — because those victories belong to both teams. - Hold strategy workshops — and make them count
Bring marketing and sales together every quarter for a no-holds-barred session. Talk about what’s working and what’s flopping. Use this time to refresh your personas, adjust messaging, and brainstorm ideas for your digital marketing strategy.
#5 — You don’t nurture leads before handing them to sales
Handing cold leads to sales is like serving raw chicken at dinner — just don’t do it.
Sales gets frustrated because they’re chasing people who don’t even know what you do.
Leads also get annoyed.
They’re basically being pushed into conversations they’re not ready for.
Cold leads aren’t just unhelpful.
They can hurt your chances of closing deals.
Skipping the nurturing process creates a cycle of misalignment and finger-pointing between teams.
How to fix the ‘cold lead’ handoff problem
- Use email automation to stay relevant
Don’t just blast generic emails. If they visited your pricing page, send them an email with a case study showing ROI. If they downloaded a guide, follow up with something deeper. Match what you send to what they’ve already shown interest in. Do this as if you’re continuing the conversation they started.
- Segment your leads
Not all leads are the same, so stop treating them like they are. Break them into groups — by industry, role, or how keen they seem. A CEO doesn’t need the same info as a junior manager. Customise it, and you’ll get better results. - Retarget leads with the right ads
If they’ve checked out your site but haven’t converted, don’t let them forget you. Serve up ads that remind them why you’re the solution they need — testimonials, product videos, or even a gentle nudge like “Still thinking about us?” - Track lead engagement like a hawk
Don’t dump a lead on sales just because they opened an email. Watch what they do. Are they clicking links? Are they pending time on your site? When they’re active and engaged, they’re ready. Until then, keep nurturing. - Don’t be clingy
Spamming leads with too much content is a one-way ticket to the unsubscribe button. Space things out and keep it helpful. It’s easy to get excited but always give them room to breathe. - Show them the next step clearly
Don’t leave your prospects guessing. Whether it’s booking a demo, signing up for a free trial, or just downloading another guide, make the path forward obvious and easy.
Your sales team might hate your leads now, but that can change
You don’t need to start from scratch.
To improve lead quality, focus on tweaking — not tearing processes down.
Also, you can’t just flip a switch and call it a day.
Keep checking in and making sure both teams are on board.
When everyone’s pulling in the same direction, the results are huge.
Better leads don’t just make sales happy.
They make the whole business better.
More deals closed, fewer wasted hours, and way less finger-pointing.
Small tweaks, big wins.
Go make it happen.
