UK Lead Generation Podcast

James Dooley: What is the problem with lead generation? Some business owners come to us saying their lead generation just isn’t working. So let’s run through the potential problems people face.

Kasra Dash: The number one thing for me is lack of resources. They might not have the right budget—or any budget—to set things up properly. Some think, “I’ll spend £60 and get 60 leads,” but that’s not how quality lead generation works. High-value leads cost more. A £5 leaky tap lead is nowhere near the cost of generating a £6,000 bathroom renovation lead, which might cost £500—but the margin is much higher.

James Dooley: For sure. Another big one is lead nurturing. Warming up that lead, providing value, earning trust—that process is where many businesses fail.

Kasra Dash: Exactly. Next is tracking ROI. Many businesses offer multiple services but never analyze which one is the most profitable. If you identify the service that brings the highest margin, you should chase more of those leads.

James Dooley: And related to that is intent—finding the right demographic. You can’t force a square into a circle. If someone isn’t the right fit, cross-sell them or refer them elsewhere. You need clarity on your most profitable services and ideal customers before launching any lead gen strategy.

Kasra Dash: Yes, and then you’ve got inadequate KPIs: not looking at lifetime value, average transactional value, or return on ad spend. Amazon is a great example—they upsell and cross-sell constantly. Many businesses don’t do this at all.

James Dooley: Exactly. And ROAS matters too. If you’re paying £5 for a lead but can only sell £6 worth of services, you’re barely making profit. Tracking these numbers makes lead generation much easier.

Kasra Dash: Another problem is changing markets. Some people constantly switch niches or services every two months. They never give campaigns time to work. You need sustainable long-term focus, not constant trend-hopping.

James Dooley: Definitely. And then there’s lack of branding. If your Google reviews are 1.5 stars, or your website and social media don’t align, it destroys trust. Even if you’re the best in your area, poor online presence will hold you back.

Kasra Dash: Competition is another huge one. It’s harder now. People say they used to generate 50 leads a day and now only get five. That’s because more businesses understand marketing now. So you have to do more and do it better.

James Dooley: Absolutely. And that leads to the next issue: not enough touchpoints. Competitors often have bigger SEO campaigns, bigger ads budgets, more omnipresence. Google recently talked about the “11-7-4” strategy—11 touchpoints, 7 hours of content consumed, across 4 platforms. It’s a good rule of thumb.

Kasra Dash: A locksmith won’t need 7 hours of content, but the point stands. And another massive problem—people don’t have enough case studies and testimonials. If you film a 5-minute case study, you can repurpose it into multiple short videos across TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, and socials. Testimonials build trust and add to your 11-7-4 strategy.

James Dooley: Exactly. Case studies not only generate more leads, they help you convert the leads you already have.

Kasra Dash: So that’s all the major problems we see in lead generation. Let us know if we missed anything—drop a comment. Are you struggling with any other issues?