Why “Sales” Shouldn’t Be a KPI for Your Demand Generation Campaign
By Gavin Floyd, Vice President of Sales at Lion Reach Media
Let’s face it—marketers are under more pressure than ever to tie every campaign directly to revenue. If you’re running Demand Generation, you’re likely being asked:
“How many sales did this campaign drive?”
It’s a fair question. But it’s also the wrong one, at least when it comes to evaluating a top-of-funnel Demand Gen program focused on MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) delivery.
Here’s why “sales” is a misleading and often harmful KPI for measuring Demand Generation efforts—and what you should be tracking instead.
🔒 Too Many Variables Are Outside Your Control
Once an MQL enters the sales pipeline, it’s no longer purely a marketing function. The conversion to revenue now depends on a variety of factors that Demand Gen programs simply don’t control:
1. Sales Team Execution
How quickly and effectively do your reps follow up? Is their messaging aligned? Are they prioritizing the leads correctly?
2. Product-Market Fit
Even the most qualified lead won’t buy if your product doesn’t meet their actual needs once they dig in.
3. Pricing and Competition
If a competitor comes in cheaper—or with a better value story—your lead may shift directions, regardless of interest.
4. Internal Sales Process
Sales enablement, CRM workflows, and lead routing all affect whether an MQL gets the attention it deserves.
5. Buying Timelines
B2B purchases are complex. Multi-stakeholder buying groups and long procurement cycles mean sales can take months (or more).
So when a qualified lead doesn’t convert, it’s not always a reflection of lead quality. It’s a reflection of the multi-touch, multi-department nature of B2B sales.
✅ What Should Be Measured in Demand Generation?
At Lion Reach Media, we live and breathe demand gen—and we’re obsessed with performance. But we also know that quality comes first. That’s why we advocate for KPIs that accurately reflect what a well-run content syndication or MQL program can deliver.
Here’s what we can confidently measure and guarantee:
🎯 ICP and Persona Alignment
We ensure every lead matches your exact buyer profile—industry, title, company size, and more.
💡 Verified Engagement
We don’t just hand over names. Our leads have actively engaged with your content or responded to targeted outreach.
✅ Qualification Standards
Every lead goes through custom disqualifying questions to ensure they meet your MQL or HQL thresholds.
🧩 Clean, Actionable Data
Expect complete contact details, verified emails, and rich firmographics—ready for your SDRs to take action.
📶 Intent Signals
We track and deliver the behavior-based insights that show who’s actively researching solutions like yours.
🔍 The KPIs That Drive Real Demand Gen ROI
Instead of focusing on “Did this lead close?”, focus on:
- Lead quality & fit
- Volume of MQLs delivered
- Consistency of data accuracy
- Engagement and intent indicators
- Speed of delivery vs. SLA
These are the levers we can control—and when combined with a sharp sales process, they lead to repeatable revenue outcomes.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, your Demand Gen program should fuel pipeline—but trying to force-fit a revenue KPI at the top of the funnel is a recipe for frustration (and poor decision-making).
Want to drive more pipeline without compromising lead quality or CPLs?
Let’s chat. I’d love to walk you through how we’re helping companies like Microsoft and Informatics hit their MQL goals—without setting unrealistic expectations.
