Plenty of founders and reps try to do it all: find companies, identify decision-makers, hunt down contact details, write the messages – and maybe even remember the follow-ups. Then they wonder why time evaporates and conversion tanks.
Modern tech offers a better split: you set direction (20%), and AI-assisted automation handles the routine (80%). The result? Fewer hours burned, more hits, better conversion.
What does 80/20 mean in lead gen?
It’s not a magic trick – it’s division of labor.
Your 20% (human): value proposition, targeting criteria, “no-go” filters, decisions in edge cases.
The 80% (machine): processing target groups, finding decision-makers and contacts, analyzing companies, drafting messages, sending, tracking, and following up.
This doesn’t diminish your expertise – it frees it for higher-leverage work.
Captain, crew, and the bridge
You’re the captain. You set the course: who we serve, which problem we solve, how we choose the companies to help, and what we won’t do.
Once the course is clear and orders are given, you don’t stand at the wheel the whole voyage. Routine steering belongs to the crew. You return to the bridge when:
- We reach port: a reply lands, a meeting is set.
- Conditions change: volume, arguments, a new segment.
- Judgment is needed: e.g., a borderline prospect.
What should the captain do with the time saved?
- Think. Sharpen strategy, product, and long-term advantage.
- Tighten the value proposition and upgrade the messaging.
- Build case stories and references that boost confidence and sales.
- Meet the right buyers – not every possible one.
- Build channels: partnerships, webinars, podcasts, newsletters, customer programs.
- Develop and support the team; raise the odds of success.
- Grow accounts.
If the captain’s work excites you but time is short and there’s no crew, book a demo. Let’s see what sailing with Zefram looks like.