These Mistakes Are Killing Your Business – A Masterclass In Lead Generation

Join the 155,000+ business leaders so far, who’ve already tuned into Steve Pailthorpe’s masterclass in lead generation. In this episode, Steve exposes the costly errors that undermine growth and reveals a proven framework for creating a predictable pipeline of qualified leads. This podcast offers thousands of pounds of free, untapped education and advice.

 

 

How to Generate 100 Sales Leads in 90 Days

Businesses are getting traffic. They’re even getting leads. But too often, they’re not converting them into paying clients. Why? Because most websites and campaigns are not designed with conversions in mind.

In this episode, we unpack the mistakes that are costing businesses opportunities—and the practical steps you can take to fix them.

 

Why Websites Fail to Convert

Most websites are too complicated. They “make your eyes bleed.” Too many colours. Too much noise. The result? High bounce rates. And when bounce rates are high, Google lowers your ranking.

Bounce means a user leaves without taking any action. That includes someone who dials your phone number from the homepage and exits. It sounds counterintuitive, but putting your number top right can actually harm performance.

The exception: if you’re running a paid advertising landing page. Only then should a phone number be front and centre.

 

The F Principle

Eye-tracking studies show users scan a webpage in the shape of a capital F within 1.4 seconds. That means:

• Top left: your logo/brand
• Down the left: your primary call to action
• Supporting content aligned to that F structure

If your call to action is buried on the right-hand side, conversions drop. Positioning matters.

 

Three-Colour Rule

To avoid overwhelming users, stick to three colours:

• Neutral background
• Brand colour
• Contrasting call-to-action colour

For links: always use Google blue, underlined. This simple tweak can increase click-through rates by 34%.

 

MQL vs SQL

Not all leads are equal.

MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead): a lead that matches your target persona and has engaged with your marketing.

SQL (Sales Qualified Lead): a live opportunity, quotable in the CRM.

The handover between marketing and sales is critical. Once a lead becomes an SQL, the nurture journey changes—strategy docs, follow-up calls, and even physical “thud factor” mail like books or hardbound proposals to stay top of mind.

 

Why Newsletters Don’t Work

Stop sending newsletters. They don’t get opened. Instead, send plain-text, three-paragraph emails:

Why you’re writing

What you’re offering

What to do next

And avoid spam triggers like “click here,” “unsubscribe,” or “Happy Christmas.” Use full URLs instead”

This approach boosts deliverability from ~80% to ~96%.

 

The 7 Steps Marketing Chassis™

Here’s how to generate 100 qualified sales leads in 90 days.

SEO

• Focus on transactional long-tail keywords.
• On-page optimisation + backlinks = domain authority.

Expect 10 leads in 90 days, growing monthly as authority builds.

 

Google Ads

• Search Network (20 leads).
• Display Network (10 leads).
• Remarketing (5 leads).

Total: 35 leads in 90 days.

 

Content Marketing

• Long-form blogs (1,500 words minimum).
• Aim for three per week.
• Digital PR – mainly for awareness – aim for one per month.

Expect 10 leads in 90 days.

 

Social Media

• LinkedIn: 3 posts per week (personal, not company).
• Facebook/Instagram: 3–5 posts per week.
• X (Twitter): daily.
• Google Business Profile: regular updates.

Expect 9 leads in 90 days.

 

Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)

• Disruptive “stop the scroll” content.
• Faces, video, colour, motion.
• Highly targeted by persona, location, or interest.

Expect 15 leads in 90 days.

 

Marketing Automation

• Campaigns triggered by behaviour and nurture sequences.
• Send to at least 10,000 fresh data records.

Expect 21+ leads in 90 days.

 

Digital PR

• Quality placements over quantity.
• Supports SEO and authority growth.

Total: 100+ qualified sales leads in 90 days.

 

Key Takeaways

• Conversions start with design: use the F principle and three-colour rule.
• Don’t hand leads over poorly—transition from MQL to SQL with a nurture plan.
• Forget newsletters—send simple, plain-text emails that build trust and trigger action.
• The 7 Steps Marketing Chassis™ provides a practical framework for consistent lead flow.

 

Final Thought

If you’re investing in marketing but not seeing results, the problem isn’t traffic – it’s conversion. Focus at the bottom of the funnel first: SEO, Google Ads, and email automation. Then scale upward into content and social.