There’s a moment in most leadership meetings where the same question comes to the fore:
“So, how many leads did this campaign generate?”
It’s a fair, and expected question. But in professional services, it’s also… misleading.
Firstly, what do we actually define as a ‘lead’?
And secondly, in an industry where trust is the currency, the best opportunities, those your sales teams crave, rarely begin with a form fill. They begin with reputation. With presence. With perception.
Yet so many firms are still focusing too much time on optimising for conversion rate on a landing page when perhaps they should really be asking:
- Do we have a point of view that truly makes us distinct?
- And are we showing up with credence in the places that our ideal clients are shaping early-stage decisions?
Lead gen, in the traditional sense, is important. Of course it is. But genuine opportunities without strategic visibility and without the perception that your firm belongs on the shortlist, won’t land anyway. Particularly with the way today’s buyers buy.
Lead Gen will not work without brand, and brand isn’t just about awareness. It’s about creating belief.
It’s what gives your sales team air cover.
It’s what earns you the call or email before there’s an RFP.
So maybe it’s time we reframed the question.
Not “how many leads?”
But: how many right-fit buyers are beginning to trust us, before they ever opt in?
Because while pipeline is what you track, perception and trust is what gets you there.