Thereโs a trap I see again and again in SaaS companies:
We invest in bottom-of-funnel performance marketing because itโs worked before. Itโs predictable, reliable. It feeds the funnel and keeps sales moving.
But over time, something subtle (and expensive) starts to happen.
To keep hitting lead volume targets under rising CPA thresholds, marketing casts a wider net.
๐ธ๏ธ 1. That net brings in more noise
๐ฅ 2. SDR headcount increases to qualify it
๐ค 3. Sales starts chasing - often smaller - transactional deals, not strategic ones
๐งฏ 4. CS gets flooded with more customers - many of whom were never the right fit.
And then thereโs ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐๐ฒ.
๐ Audiences become numb.
๐ซ Banner blindness sets in.
๐จ Now you need more creative. Better creative.
๐ธ Higher production costs, tighter turnaround cycles, and growing pressure on already-stretched teams.
๐ฃ ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ:
Functional silos and misaligned KPIs ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ.
Even when marketing improves lead quality, reducing noise and improving conversion rates, sales might not care.
Because when theyโre behind on targets, the only thing that matters is volume.
Booked meetings. Pipeline at any cost.
Turning the tap harder always feels safer than questioning the faucet itself.
- So marketing tries to optimize signal.
- Sales optimizes for speed.
- Customer Success tries to hold everything together.
๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ โ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏโโ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ.
It ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ โฆ but the cost of that โworkingโ is a bloated, overstretched growth engine with declining strategic clarity.
The worst part?
๐ Because lead volume and revenue are still growing, no one wants to question the tactic.
But hereโs the uncomfortable truth:
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ปโ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ.
This is the difference between:
โข ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐: โThis tactic has worked before.โ
โข ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐: โThis tactic is still the right one for how the world works now.โ
And the bridge between the two?
๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
The ability to step back, ask ๐คโ๐ฆ something worked, and whether the conditions that made it effective still hold true.
You donโt have to abandon performance marketing, but you ๐๐ need to challenge the assumptions it was built on.
But over time, the pressure to keep it working can quietly erode both your margins, and your teamโs ability to focus on what really matters
Have you seen this play out in your org?
๐ Iโd love to hear your experience.
