No, You Don’t Need More Leads!

By Marc McIntosh & Renee Roberts

Founders of Team Wedding Marketing

We help awesome wedding pros have marketing that is equally awesome!

You Don’t Need More Leads. You Need to Stop Losing the Ones You Already Have.

When people in business ask, “How do I get more leads?” — it’s often the wrong question.

And my answer tends to catch them off guard:

“You probably already have plenty of leads… you just don’t know it.”

The truth is, most people are getting discovered. Their problem isn’t awareness — it’s what happens after someone becomes aware.

Awareness ≠ Action

In today’s digital landscape, getting noticed is relatively easy. Maybe someone saw your ad, got referred by a friend, found your Instagram, or clicked your Google Business Profile. That’s a win. You did something right.

At this stage, you’ve made it to their “maybe” list — the mental shortlist of potential vendors, service providers, or collaborators. The problem is: being on that list doesn’t mean you’ll get contacted.

There could be 20, 30, even 50 businesses on their radar. But they’re not going to reach out to all of them.

They’ll narrow it down.

And this is where most businesses lose — silently.

Subtractive Shopping: Why People Eliminate You Before You Ever Hear From Them

Consumers today aren’t just choosing who to contact. They’re actively looking for reasons to not contact certain options.

This process — which I call Subtractive Shopping — means potential leads are looking for red flags or anything that feels off.

• “Their website is a little outdated.”
• “I’m not sure what exactly they offer.”
• “I can’t find any pricing.”
• “There’s no clear differentiation from others.”
• “I don’t get a good vibe.”

And here’s the thing: when that happens, you don’t get ghosted… you get something worse.

PRE-JECTION: The Silent Killer of Leads

PRE-JECTION is when someone comes across your business, looks around, makes a judgment, and walks away — before ever reaching out.

They don’t DM you.
They don’t fill out a form.
They don’t ask a question.

They just… dismiss you. Silently.

And because you never even knew they were there, you don’t know what you did wrong. You can’t adjust. You can’t respond.

You think your marketing isn’t working, when in reality, it did work. It got them to show up.
You just didn’t close the loop.

What’s Causing the PRE-JECTION?

There are a handful of common culprits:

• Unclear messaging. If someone can’t immediately tell what you do and why it matters to them, they’re gone.
• No visible trust elements. Lack of testimonials, reviews, or social proof makes you feel risky.
• Generic presence. If you look and sound like everyone else in your industry, there’s no reason to choose you.
• Hard-to-find info. If pricing, process, or contact info is buried or vague, people assume the worst and move on.
• Inconsistent branding across platforms. If your Instagram, Google listing, and website don’t align, it feels unprofessional.

What’s tricky is that none of these are huge errors on their own. But together, they subtly nudge people away.

The Fix Isn’t Just More Traffic — It’s Better Conversion

This is where most businesses focus on the wrong levers. They invest in ads, SEO, social media growth — chasing new eyeballs.

But if those new people land on the same leaky digital presence, they’ll leave too.

The smarter move?
Optimize what people see after they discover you.

That means:

• Reviewing every digital touchpoint with fresh eyes.
• Making sure your website clearly communicates your value above the fold.
• Sharing proof — not just promises.
• Aligning your online presence with the quality of service you actually deliver.

Your Website Is the Center of It All

Even if people find you on social media, Google, or through a referral — they’re probably ending up on your website.

It’s your online handshake. Your elevator pitch. Your chance to stand out.

And if it doesn’t do its job?

The lead disappears without a trace.

You Don’t Need More Leads — You Need More of the Right Ones to Reach Out

So when people ask how to generate more leads, the better question is:

“How do I get more of the people already discovering me to actually reach out?”

Start there.
That’s where the real growth happens — not in new traffic, but in the silent moments when someone decides whether to cross you off the list… or give you a shot.