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The hidden cost of bad leads your sales team won't tell you about
Hint: your CFO doesn't track it
Should I say “next?”
Product marketers are natural optimists. We see potential everywhere.
In our products, our messaging, and especially in our market targeting. We want to believe everyone could be a customer.
But as Michelle Nieberding reminded us on this week's episode of We're Not Marketers, that optimism can come at a steep price.
"No sales rep likes to hear it," Michelle explained, "but when you can say it in the context of 'here's why we want to disqualify early,' it changes everything."
Disqualification might be your most underutilized superpower as a product marketer.
Let’s Dive in.
(But first…an obituary for our sponsors)
B2B onboarding is a graveyard. People keep tapping “Next” until their souls evaporate. We got our hands on Chameleon’s 2025 Benchmark Report, and the findings confirm our darkest suspicions.
Only 30% of users survive standard product tours. Well-timed steps beat the usual slog by 2-3x. Embedded guidance crushes pop-ups, boosting usage by 1.5x. We’ve all been stuck in endless modals, wishing for sweet release. Don’t keep tormenting your customers.
Check out the only one who can save you.
Introducing the Anti-ICP Framework
We all know about Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs), but Michelle and our hosts discussed a powerful alternative approach: the Anti-ICP.
Instead of only defining who IS a fit, get crystal clear on who is NOT a fit. This is often easier to articulate, especially for earlier-stage companies still refining their targeting.
Ask yourself:
Which types of customers consistently churn?
What deals always stall or fall through at the last minute?
Which customers consume the most support resources?
What objections signal a fundamental misalignment?
For Michelle's company, HIPAA compliance requirements are a clear anti-ICP signal. If a prospect absolutely needs this, they're better served elsewhere.
Implementing Disqualification Strategies
Disqualification isn't about saying "no" – it's about saying "no, and here's why." The key is to make it systematic and data-driven:
Create clear disqualification questions: Give sales specific questions to ask early in the conversation that can identify bad fits quickly.
Document and learn: Track which prospects you disqualify and why. Look for patterns that can refine your targeting.
Position it as money-saving: As Eric pointed out on the podcast, frame disqualification as "saving the company money by throwing out bad fit people before they waste our time" rather than "reducing pipeline."
Balance with opportunity cost: Michelle emphasized, "You don't want to disqualify a huge company inappropriately." Make sure your criteria are based on genuine fit issues, not just convenience.
The Bottom Line
As product marketers, our job isn't to generate the most leads – it's to generate the right leads. It's not to help sales talk to everyone – it's to help them close deals with the people who actually need what we sell.
Strategic disqualification isn't negative. It's one of the most positive things you can do for your business, your sales team, and ultimately, your customers – who deserve to work with companies truly suited to their needs.
What disqualification strategies have worked in your organization? Reply to this email to share your experiences.
🎙New Episode Alert (Ep #48)
From SDR to CMO: Why the best sellers are marketers w/ Kyle Coleman
Which one was your favorite?
We have a rule here: Never get the same guest twice.
But as you might know…we don’t like rules.
Well, we’ve just broken it now because we’re getting Michele Nieberding for the 2nd time! The Director of Product Marketing at Metarouter and two-time Top 100 PMM, returns to challenge one of the biggest assumptions about product marketers. We’ve talked about:
💀 The red flags: If your PMM team reports to the CRO, run! 🏃♀️
💀 The anti-ICP approach: Why knowing who isn’t a fit is just as important
💀 AI for PMMs—the right (and wrong) ways to use AI for messaging, content, and research
💀 The troubling trend: Why “Director of Growth & PMM” is a dangerous hybrid role
💀 Buffets, bad dating analogies, and how to disqualify bad fits faster than a shitty Tinder date
Don’t miss this one.
Listen here for some time with the Queen.
That’s all we’ve got for this week.
It’s your turn to tell us what you think with this one-second poll below.
Until next week 👋
Gab, Eric, and Zach
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