But the thing is, the Lead Fairy – she’s not real! I know, I’m shocked too. And so close to Christmas.

So every sales manager and product owner likes to think that marketing’s job is sooo easy, because leads grow on trees and the lead fairy just picks them and hands them out, and if that isn’t happening to us then marketing’s – well – rubbish. But what if she doesn’t exist? There are leads out there for sure, if you’re in a market for a thing which is sold by other providers, they must have leads, those guys get them, so why not us? Well maybe, just maybe she’s there but not so much a fairy as a dating agency. The leads are out there but they aren’t yours because there’s no match. Your product hasn’t put on its sharp suit or best frock, done its hair and tried its best to meet the needs of those leads, to adapt a little to their preferred nuances and win them over. Just standing there expecting someone to look over at you isn’t good enough. The product has to make an effort, speak the lead’s language, gain trust and then it might be able to get the introduction and break the ice. Then it can tell a few stories to show how much it understands, before sailing off into the sunset, happily ever after. Just having the product and shouting a bit isn’t enough, it has to show it can fit, then the lead will be yours.