Why Most Leads Waste Your Time (And What To Do Instead)

Welcome back,

Let’s talk about something that kills momentum fast - chasing the wrong people.

You’re showing up. Posting. Messaging. Pitching.

But the leads you’re landing?

Too slow.
Too small.
Too stuck.

Here’s why that’s happening and how to fix it.

Common Problem: You’re targeting the biggest audience, not the best buyers

It feels logical to target the biggest group.

More leads = more chances, right?

But here’s what the data shows:

• 1% of your market holds 15% of the budget

• 9% holds another 45%

• The remaining 90% split just 40% between them

Most independent business owners are spending time on the 90%

The crowd with the least budget, longest sales cycles, and highest resistance to change.

That’s why your pipeline feels full… but nothing’s closing.

Simple Solution: Focus your offer and message on the 10% who actually buy

The highest-value clients don’t need convincing that they have a problem.

They want clarity, outcomes, and speed.

Here’s how to shift your targeting:

Step 1: Audit your best-fit clients

1. Who paid fast, saw results, and referred others?

2. Look beyond job titles. What urgency or moment made them buy?

Step 2: Map pain intensity to decision-making power

Instead of guessing based on role or industry, ask:

1. Are they actively trying to solve this problem now?

2. Do they feel it enough to take action?

3. Can they make a decision or pull budget

Step 3: Spot sales triggers

Great buyers often show signals like:

• A recent leadership hire

• New funding, team growth, or expansion

• Recent public content about pain points (LinkedIn, blogs, etc.)

• Comments like “We need to get this sorted this quarter”

Step 4: Test the pub version of their pain

If they were venting to a peer, would they say:

• “I’m spending hours chasing invoices every week, it’s killing my time”? (For ops/accounting support)

• “Clients keep asking for stuff outside scope and I don’t know how to push back”? (For consultants)

• “We’re putting out content but it’s just not landing”? (For content/marketing help)

If your message doesn’t tap into that, it won’t hit.

Take Action

Look at your last 5 best clients.

Ask: What was the moment they became ready to buy?

Then do two things this week:

• Update your ICP based on urgency, pain intensity, and decision power

• Rewrite your core message to speak to the top 10%…not the crowd

The goal isn’t to sound appealing.

It’s to sound right to the right people.

That’s it for this week.

Most offers don’t fail because they’re bad.
They fail because they’re aimed at the wrong buyer.

Focus on the few who can and want to buy.
Your close rate, your sanity, and your bottom line will thank you.

See you next week,
Mark