Lead Generation Strategy for 2025: What Works Now

Lead generation over the years has been the middle child of your go-to-market strategy.

It’s not really been the focus, and it often sits silently there, not being engaged with the way it should. Now, with the advent of tech, AI, and CRM systems that actually work, lead generation is becoming the critical tool you use to fill the top of the funnel, and it’s finally coming into its own.

In this article, I’m going to lay out the following:

• The real-world issues with lead generation today
• What “good” looks like in 2025 (based on models we use with clients)
• Where tech and AI are helping — and where they aren’t

Let me be clear up front — this article doesn’t glamorise AI or overhype technology just because it’s fashionable. This is a working model that we use and test every day with clients at 1000Steps. When AI works, we use it. When it doesn’t, we don’t.

And above all else, remember this: lead generation is about getting out there.

You can have the best product, the best pricing, the best pitch, but if people don’t know you exist, they can’t buy from you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business with five people or a multinational. If you are not front of mind, you will eventually start losing ground to the company that is.

The Core Problem: Who Actually Owns Lead Generation?

There are three core parts to lead generation, and they should be held together by Marketing, not Sales.

Why?

Because Sales won’t execute consistently. They won’t track the data. They won’t follow up properly. And if you’ve been in sales leadership long enough, you know this is true.

Sales sees itself (and is seen by others) as a team of closers, not lead generators. And the result? Lead generation doesn’t happen. At least not properly. Most teams are now so reliant on inbound that they’re one algorithm tweak away from having no pipeline.

It’s Fixable — Without “Disturbing the Force”

And yes, it’s fixable. Easily, even. And to quote Darth Vader:

“I felt your presents.”

Sorry. Couldn’t help it. Christmas is coming and it’s my favourite terrible joke. Felt like the right moment to get it out there.

Now, back to the serious stuff.

The GTM Model: Branding, Marketing, Outbound

Let’s break it down.

There are three essential parts to your go-to-market mix:

Branding

Branding is about who you are and how the market perceives you.

It includes:

• Your visual identity
• Website
• Messaging
• Design
• Your positioning in the market
• The feeling people get when they see your name

If you get branding wrong, the other two parts become much harder. People don’t trust what they don’t recognise.

Marketing

Marketing is about getting that brand and message out there.

It includes:

• Content
• PR
• Paid and organic campaigns
• Thought leadership
• Social media
• Events

It’s the awareness engine. It’s how people discover you, stay in your orbit, and begin to associate you with a particular outcome or expertise.

Outbound Lead Generation

Outbound is proactive.

It’s about reaching out to the right people, the right way, at the right time, and generating conversation that leads to meetings.

It includes:

• Cold calling
• Email outreach
• LinkedIn messaging
• Partner introductions
• Events and follow-up
• Video outreach
• Personalised nurture
• ABM (Account-Based Marketing)

And here’s the critical bit: you need all three working together.

If branding is weak, marketing falls flat. If marketing doesn’t support outbound, conversations don’t convert. If outbound isn’t structured, all the brand and marketing investment goes to waste.

They are not different departments. They are one go-to-market engine.

Let’s Focus on Outbound

Because that’s the focus of this article.

Outbound lead generation means initiating contact. It means reaching out. It means being human, intentional, and consistent.

It’s founder-led, sales-led, team-led, but it needs structure.

Too often, outbound is delegated with no support, no system, no coaching, and no accountability. Which means reps do it ad hoc, or not at all.

Example: you go to an event. You invest in a stand. The sales team shows up. They don’t prep. They don’t capture details properly. They don’t follow up within 24 hours.

Then… nothing.

That’s how lead generation often works in real life, disconnected and forgotten. It’s no surprise results are so poor.

What Falls Under “Outbound” in 2025?

Here’s a real-world checklist. Some of this is 101. Some is more advanced. But together, it’s a blueprint for a proper outbound engine.

You don’t need to do them all. But you should be aware of them, and be honest about what you’re doing well.

• LinkedIn database building
• Initial LinkedIn messaging
• LinkedIn ongoing nurture
• Networking events
• Partner management
• Thought leadership (written, video, etc.)
• Webinars
• Email campaigns
• Centres of influence
• Lead → Prospect → Appointment conversion process
• Mapping and managing databases
• Personalised communication
• Breakfast meetings
• Lunch and learns
• Training courses
• Cold calling
• Social media engagement (beyond LinkedIn)
• Industry conferences and trade shows
• Podcast appearances
• SMS campaigns
• Community engagement (forums, Slack groups, etc.)
• ABM outreach
• Video messaging (Loom, Vidyard, etc.)
• Influencer partnerships

What We’re Doing at 1000Steps (And What We Aren’t)

Below is a breakdown of what we do and excel at in our own BD model at 1000Steps — and what we know we’re not doing.

✅ = in motion. ❌ = not yet implemented or inconsistent.

✅ Currently doing and doing well:

• Personalised communication with prospects
• Training courses
• Account-based marketing outreach
• LinkedIn messaging (initial and ongoing)
• Networking events
• Thought leadership
• Webinars
• Nurturing contacts over time
• Lead → appointment conversion
• Contact database management
• Industry conferences and trade shows
• LinkedIn database building
• Our 1000Steps internal list
• Partner management

❌ Not yet doing well or at all:

• Centres of influence
• Email campaigns
• Breakfast meetings
• Lunch and learns
• Cold calling
• Social engagement beyond LinkedIn
• Podcasts
• SMS
• Forums or group engagement
• Influencer partnerships

Blimey, eh? It’s a lot. And yes, it’s complex.
But if you want predictable growth, you need to own this complexity.

What the Lead Gen Owner Must Be Able to Do

Whoever owns this process in your business must be able to:

• Understand each method
• Build and run the right ones
• Empower the right people to execute
• Track the data
• Adjust the model regularly

In most businesses — this isn’t happening.

There’s no clear owner. No framework. No accountability.

And the result is pipeline volatility, inconsistent meetings, and missed opportunities — especially at the top of the funnel.

Here’s the second half of the article, continuing from where we left off — now covering:

• Tech + AI’s role in lead gen
• Fraser’s personal workflow (writing + content creation)
• CRM + Navigator
• KPI tracking
• Final strategy summary
• CTA + FAQ

All formatted for WordPress with H2 as the top-level heading, matching the first half.

Where Tech and AI Actually Help — And Where They Don’t

Let’s be honest: a lot of the AI talk right now is hype.

But that doesn’t mean it’s useless.

At 1000Steps, we’ve tested a lot. And when used correctly, AI and tech make your lead generation more efficient, more repeatable, and less painful.

But they won’t do the work for you.

1. Database Management

This is foundational. And still broken in most companies.

I use:

• CRM (HubSpot or Salesforce depending on the client)
• LinkedIn Navigator
• Hub-Lead (a brilliant tool that connects CRM to Navigator and keeps data synced)

Here’s how I use them:

• Navigator = my live targeting engine
• CRM = my central record and tracking system

If you’re using both, and using them properly, it’s a dream.
If not, you’re likely chasing contacts, missing data, or losing opportunities you never knew you had.

2. Contact Nurture

This is the single most overlooked aspect of modern sales.

Most companies are hyper-transactional. They focus only on who’s ready to buy now.

But the money is in nurture.

I build simple lists and aim for:

12 meaningful touchpoints over time
Phone, DM, email, events, video, comment, article — it all counts.

You can do this in CRM, in spreadsheets, or in Navigator lists. But the key is:

• It must be structured
• It must be tracked
• It must be personalised

CRMs are still a bit clunky for this. Navigator + spreadsheet works better for me personally.

Soon, AI will take over this part. We’re talking months, not years.

How I Use AI for Content Creation (And Why It Works)

Here’s how this article was created.

1. I did a rough brain dump in Notion. Just wrote — didn’t self-edit.
2. I took the raw copy and asked ChatGPT to edit it — structure, grammar, tone.
3. I reviewed the edit and put back in some things it took out (GPT can be over-efficient).
4. Final pass by me, line by line.
5. Posted.

I don’t use AI to replace my voice. I use it to clean up the speed bumps so I can move faster.

Writing an article like this used to take me 6–8 hours.
Now it takes 2–3.

That’s a win.

Video + Shortform

Same for video content:

• Record a short clip (1–3 mins)
• Drop it into Opus Clip
• It cuts it into clips, adds captions, and gives me highlights
• Transcribe, then use ChatGPT to create an intro/summary
• Post

Is it perfect? No.
Does it work? Yes.
Do I need a full-time video editor anymore? Not for this.

The Real ROI: Visibility Drives Revenue

This is the part people overlook.

If you’re consistently visible — if your content is timely, relevant, and human — you will generate pipeline.

Here’s what happened recently:

In the last 3 months, 14 of our 16 proposal meetings involved someone who had read something I posted in the prior week.

Not kidding.

People like to buy from people they see, hear from, and trust.

And AI — when used well — helps you stay present.

But remember:
Tech doesn’t replace effort. It just helps you scale it.

KPIs and Accountability: The Bit Most Companies Miss

If you’re a CEO, founder, board member, or investor — you must start asking these questions weekly or monthly:

1. How well are we nurturing our contact base?
2. How well have we defined our prospect universe?
3. What’s our team-wide thought leadership model?
   (Is it just one person? Or distributed?)
4. Who’s doing outbound consistently — and how are we tracking it?
5. What leads are converting to revenue — and why?

It doesn’t need to be a 20-page report. It can be a paragraph.

“These are our KPIs. These are what were missed. Here’s why. Here’s what’s changing.”

That’s enough.

One More Story (Because It’s Too Common)

A friend of mine had a salesperson in New Zealand.

The rep was working on a massive deal — had already closed a small part (300k recurring), and was eyeing a 4M extension. Huge impact.

But — he was difficult to manage.
Didn’t do BD. Didn’t update CRM. Didn’t feed the funnel.
Just focused on this one “golden” deal.

Eventually, he was let go.

6 months later — new rep, better structure, active lead generation.
Same client.
They won the deal.

And now? That rep is thriving — because they’re building pipeline the right way.

What Good Looks Like in 2025

If you’re building a lead generation model from scratch, or trying to improve what you’ve got — here’s the checklist:

✅ CRM + LinkedIn Navigator integrated
✅ Defined contact base
✅ Regular contact nurture (tracked)
✅ Touchpoints system (manual or automated)
✅ Consistent thought leadership
✅ Sales team contributing (not just closing)
✅ AI used for content, tracking, and scale — not shortcuts
✅ Partner or channel-led lead sources
✅ ABM running
✅ Monthly review and refinement
✅ Leadership visibility

And most importantly:

Everyone knows what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and who owns what.

Final Word: This Is Not Optional Anymore

Companies that get this right over the next 12–24 months will:

• Outperform competitors
• Build more predictable revenue
• Attract better clients
• Retain better teams
• Be seen as market leaders

And companies that don’t?

They’ll start losing silently — long before they notice.

Ready to Build a Structured, Scalable Lead Generation System?

If you’re serious about growing consistently in 2025 and beyond — you need to treat lead generation as a system, not a task.

At 1000Steps, we help companies do exactly that:

• Build integrated go-to-market frameworks
• Align Sales, Marketing, and Leadership
• Use CRM and AI tools effectively
• Design outreach and nurture strategies that actually work

👉 Book a Strategy Call
Let’s build something sustainable.

FAQ: Lead Generation in 2025