My 4Q 2025 Lead Generation Strategy: What’s Working Right Now
- Summer Poletti
- Oct 30
- 4 min read
Because growth is my thing, I get this question. A lot.
And it's nuanced because what works for me might not work for you, but I'm an open book, so let's go. And first let's acknowledge that it's harder than it used to be.
What You’ll Learn in This Post
Why most early-stage outreach fails (and how to fix it)
The 3 highest-converting lead sources in my business today
How I use second-degree networks without spamming anyone
What I stopped doing to save time and still grow
How I structure my content and collaborations to create trust
Tools I rely on to book consistent calls (even passively)
Generally when my clients aren't getting the desired results from their sales efforts, it boils down to two main causes:
Not enough activity
Messaging is off
According to Gartner it takes more than 22 outreaches. Not to make a sale. Not to book a demo. To get them to stop scrolling and notice you.
The average person? They give up after 4.
And here's a hard truth - your buyer doesn't care about what you built, they only care about the impact and outcomes it will get them. And they will only care if they are feeling significant pain. Right now.
If you're struggling with your sales efforts, we should talk. I won't try to sell you on something you don't need, but I will let you know if I can help (or not).
So What Works (for me)?
First, some context: I solve or prevent stalled growth, working directly with founders/owners/CEOs.
In other words, I'm in sales trying to talk to people who get pegged by salespeople all day long. The harsh trust is that even though I the least sales-y person in sales, founders don't want to talk to me.
Know-Like-Trust is HUGE in what I do
In my first year, like most founders, my clients came from my immediate network - people who know me personally beyond just being connected on LinkedIn. That well dries up quickly, doesn't it?!?
After floundering a bit and throwing a lot of spaghetti at the walls, I'm getting into a rhythm that feels GOOD.
Referrals are everything.
It's the long game, but there's instant know-like-trust. I got a referral from someone I haven't spoken with in years, honestly thought he was retired.
Be kind
Pay it forward
Never burn a bridge
Proactively reach out to people and let them know what you're building.
Second Degree Outreach
Comb LinkedIn, you don't even have to pay for Sales Navigator. Find people who look like ICP or potential collaborators and ask for intros. Meet them and have something of value to offer. Demos don't count.
I honestly need to write an entire post about this. Boardy is a big reason why my new appointments booked for October were up 100%! Check it out, you can ask for up to 3 warm intro per day. Not everyone agrees to the meet-up so you have to come with that thing of value to offer.
Do Fewer Things
Earlier in this venture I was doing a weekly podcast, blog, slightly different newsletters on LinkedIn and Substack, and different content for LinkedIn and Meta platforms. Scale what works, kill what doesn't.
This quarter I leaned hard into the podcast because it's the best performing channel and it's my valuable thing I can offer new people I meet. Exposure - lift - LinkedIn fame! I don't recommend everyone do a podcast, it took more than a year to get here - it's the looooong game.
Automate What You Can
Leaning into what works doesn't mean killing everything. I have two workflows running on the free version of Apollo and I'll get something booked every 4-6 weeks. Not great, but it runs in the background.
Comment More Than You Post
I meet the best people in the comment sections. And the magic is in taking it off platform. Meet them on Zoom and see if you vibe.
Be Open and Intentional
Tell people you're looking for collaborators, and let them know what a mutually beneficial relationship looks like.
Be Patient
What an awful thing to say to an early stage founder, right? Those 22 outreaches are going to take a long time. Finding collaborators and nurturing them will take a long time. Give yourself some grace, measure early success signals (and I don't mean LinkedIn 'likes').
Put together a strategy with measurable goals and daily tactics.
Give more than you receive
Be intentional about your outreaches
And, for the love of all things good and holy, get your messaging aligned with what your buyers actually care about.
I'm building a community of early stage founders and fractional leaders. Nothing formal, my rag-tag bunch of business friends. Want to hang out on Meet, join the podcast, send leads back and forth? DM me and we can help each other grow!
Rise of Us is a revenue-architecture practice led by Summer Poletti. We help $2MM - $30MM ARR fintech and SaaS companies build buyer-first GTM systems that scale. Through our Revenue RISE™ framework we align sales, partnerships, marketing, and success, coach the people who run them, and deliver early wins that compound into predictable growth. We train an AI-powered Smart Sales Playbook to keep the momentum running long after the engagement concludes.
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