The Real Cost of Chasing Cold Leads (and How to Fix It)
About this episode
Helen Dowling discusses the pitfalls of chasing cold leads and offers a four-part strategy to improve sales performance.
In this 20-minute 9:30 Advantage session, Helen breaks down why sales teams underperform when they’re fed cold, unqualified leads — and what to do instead. She explains the hidden costs (wasted hours, demoralisation, bad forecasting) and the common trap of pushing salespeople to both set appointments and close deals — two very different skill sets. You’ll learn a four-part fix: Introduce BANT with a shared definition of a qualified appointment and independent scoring (Budget, Authority, Need, Timescale; pass threshold 4.5/6). Front-load qualification by publishing and following a simple, five-step process everyone can explain — from kick-off to weekly reporting. Stop making closers book their own calls — use a dedicated appointment-setting motion (or a partner) so sales spends time closing, not chasing. Run a consistent weekly cadence with follow-ups and a scorecard that tracks meetings → proposals → wins, so the pipeline becomes real, not wishful. If you’re done with “more meetings at any cost” and want quality conversations that convert, this episode shows how to rebuild your system so great salespeople can actually sell. 👉 Ready to fill your diary with qualified appointments…
People in this episode
Host: Helen Dowling
Topics covered
- sales performance
- lead qualification
- appointment setting
- sales strategy
- business improvement
Keywords
- cold leads
- sales teams
- BANT
- qualification process
- sales strategy
- appointment setting
- conversion rates
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Acast, exceptionalthinking.co.uk
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- Curiosity Converts: The Questions That Make Sales (and Follow-Ups) Work
- Great Sales Calls Start with Great Qualification (Not a Pitch)
- Burnt by a Lead Gen Company? How to Rebuild Trust and Get It Right This Time
- Letting Go to Level Up: Lessons from the Leverage Programme
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