The Myth of More
It’s a common belief: more ad spend means more leads, and more leads mean more sales. But what happens when more leads don’t actually turn into more business? We’ve seen firsthand how unchecked ad spend can mask deeper problems, especially around sales and operations. Growth isn’t just about volume; it’s about strategy.
Growth at a Crossroads
One of our long-term clients had been thriving with Google Ads. Over several years, we worked closely with them to steadily grow their monthly ad budget from $10,000 up to nearly $70,000. And as we scaled, we didn’t just chase volume, we improved efficiency too, cutting their cost-per-conversion in half, from $40 to just $20. It was a strong example of how strategic, performance-driven growth should work.
But as the volume of leads increased, new challenges began to surface.
While the marketing metrics looked strong (more leads at a lower cost), the client’s sales performance started to show signs of strain. One month, they’d break sales records. The next, they’d fall behind, struggling to close deals. It wasn’t the marketing that was faltering; it was the growing gap between lead volume and operational readiness, especially within their sales team.
After years of scaling successfully, we had reached an inflection point where further budget increases were no longer the answer.
Data Doesn’t Lie
As we dug into the data, a clear pattern emerged. The business’s ability to convert leads into customers was directly tied to staffing levels and the strength of the sales process. The more leads we generated, the more overwhelmed the team became. Quality slipped. Follow-ups were missed. Salespeople were stretched too thin.
The client assumed the solution was to keep spending more, but we suggested otherwise.
Pulling Back to Move Forward
Instead of pushing their budget higher, we recommended dialing it back. We optimized their campaigns, tightened targeting, and lowered their ad spend to around $45,000/month, while keeping cost-per-conversion steady.
The result?
Their close rates shot up. The team could manage the lead flow, focus on quality conversations, and execute a more reliable sales process. They went on to break sales records, not by flooding the pipeline, but by fixing the bottlenecks further down the funnel.
Strategy Over Spend
This isn’t a one-off. We’ve seen time and time again that businesses try to throw money at marketing when the real problem lies elsewhere: sales processes, operations, capacity, or customer experience.
At TruNorth Advisors, we believe in data-backed marketing, but also in advising our clients like real partners. That means asking the hard questions:
- Can your team handle more leads?
- What happens after someone fills out a form?
- Are you optimizing the entire customer journey?
When you fix the root issue, not just the symptoms, you unlock real, sustainable growth.
The Bottom Line
More leads won’t solve a broken process. Real marketing ROI doesn’t come from how much you spend, it comes from spending strategically, aligning with operations, and scaling when the business is truly ready.
At TruNorth Advisors, we help you grow the right way with insight, integrity, and intentionality.
Need help turning your marketing into a reliable growth engine?
Let’s talk.