What to say when a client says there were too few qualified leads last month

1. “We got too few qualified leads last month”

Say: “You’re right that this is the number that matters, so let’s find where it breaks.”

Ask: “Of the leads we sent, roughly how many did your team reach? And for the ones who weren’t qualified, was it budget, timing, location or something else?”

Then: “Here’s what I’d change next month: [one change, such as extra questions on the form or a narrower audience]. What I need from you is [one ask, such as a status on every lead].”

Why it works: it turns a verdict on your agency into a shared question with a measurable answer next month.

2. “The leads are just bad”

Say: “That’s useful to hear. Can you walk me through two or three that felt bad, so I can see what they had in common?”

Look for a pattern: wrong budget, wrong location, investors when the project suits owner-occupiers, or people who did not remember enquiring. Each points to a different fix, from targeting to the form to follow-up speed.

Then: “If we added a question about [budget or timing] to the form, we’d get fewer leads but better ones. Would you prefer that?”

3. “We want to pause the budget”

Say: “I understand. Before we decide, can I ask what you’d need to see to keep going?”

If the answer is specific, offer a short test: “Let’s run four weeks focused only on [that], and agree now what result means we continue.”

If the reason is cash or timing, such as a phase selling out, agree a restart date and what you will prepare in the meantime. A planned pause is better than a silent cancellation.

4. “Another agency says they can get leads cheaper”

Say: “They may well get cheaper enquiries. The question is cost per qualified lead or per booked viewing. Can we compare on that?”

Then show your own numbers on that basis. Do not criticise the other agency. Bring the client back to the outcome they care about.

5. “It’s your targeting, not our sales team”

Say: “It might be. Let’s check both, because it’s usually a bit of each.”

Ask about follow-up without blame: “How soon after an enquiry does the first call usually happen? And how many attempts before a lead is closed?”

Offer to fix your part first: “I’ll tighten [targeting or the form] this month. If you can share call outcomes, we’ll know next month which side moved the number.”

6. “We’re thinking of cancelling”

Say: “Thank you for telling me now rather than later. What would have to be different for you to stay?”

Listen to the end. Repeat back the two or three reasons in their words, and ask which matters most. Then propose a plan with a date: “Let’s meet again on [date] and look at exactly that.”

If they have already decided, ask what you could have done differently, and leave the door open. Clients often come back when the next agency does not work out.

Practise before the call

These lines only work if the CSM has said them out loud before. Rehearse with a colleague playing the client, or with an AI roleplay where the client is unhappy with last month’s leads.

Write your agency’s own version of each answer, so every CSM uses the same approved wording rather than improvising.

How Amotions AI approaches this

Amotions AI shows private suggestions during video and phone calls. Upload your approved answers, and when a client says the leads were too few or poor, the suggestion uses your wording. It does not join the call as a bot, and the client does not see it.

Admins can also create roleplays where an AI client plays an unhappy developer or one who wants to pause, so CSMs practise first. See AI coaching for client reporting calls and the monthly client reporting call checklist.

The dialogue in this post is illustrative.

Frequently asked questions

Next step

See how live suggestions work on client calls: https://amotionsinc.com/ai-coach-for-client-reporting-calls

Book a demo with the client conversations your team finds hardest: https://amotionsinc.com/pricing/contact