The Myth of More Leads

Why Your Funnel Doesn’t Need a Bigger Pour — It Needs a Better Mix

A “Cocktail”-Inspired Guide to Marketing Momentum

There’s a moment in Cocktail where Brian Flanagan is behind the bar spinning bottles, tossing ice, lighting drinks on fire — crowds cheering, energy buzzing.
It looks incredible.
It feels like magic.

But here’s the reality:
You can only impress with flair for so long.
Eventually, someone is going to taste the drink.

Marketing suffers from the same problem.

Most teams are obsessed with bigger pours.
More leads.
More volume.
More “top of funnel.”

But as any good bartender (or marketer) knows:
You don’t win by pouring more.
You win by mixing better.

This blog is your shift behind the bar.

1. The Big Pour Myth

Everyone loves the drama of a heavy pour — the illusion of abundance.
That’s why leaders shout:

“We just need more leads!”

It’s the marketing version of flair bartending.
Loud.
Flashy.
Dramatic.

But here’s the truth:

Most funnels don’t need more volume.
They need less friction.

And friction isn’t fixed by pouring harder.
It’s fixed by mixing smarter.

2. Volume Is Theatrics — Velocity Is Craft

In Cocktail, the secret behind the bar wasn’t the show.
It was the mix.

The balance.
The flow.
The order of ingredients.
The timing.
The nuance.

Marketing is the same.

Many teams chase:

• more leads

• more campaigns

• more channels

• more noise

But volume without flow is just spillage.

Velocity, on the other hand, is the craft:

• how quickly someone moves from interest to action

• how smooth the handoff is

• how aligned sales + marketing are

• how consistent the follow-up feels

• how well the message hits

Velocity is the difference between a drink that works…
and one that gets sent back.

3. Lead Pile-Ups = Sticky Bars and Messy Floors

Picture this:
The bar is heaving, everyone wants a drink, and Flanagan is spinning bottles like a man possessed.
Crowds cheer.
Orders fly.
Energy is electric.

But if the workflow behind the bar is broken?

Chaos.
Overflow.
Backlog.
Missed orders.
Unhappy customers.

That’s most marketing funnels today:

• Leads spill everywhere

• Sales can’t keep up

• Messaging is off

• No one knows the priority

• MQLs sit untouched

• Deals go cold

More volume + no system = a sticky, unmanageable mess.

Velocity — not volume — keeps the bar running clean.

4. Alignment Is the Real Recipe

In bartending, timing is everything:
Ice → alcohol → mixer → shake → strain → serve.

If one step is off, the whole drink is off.

Marketing is no different.

Velocity comes from:

• clear ICP

• shared definitions

• aligned goals

• collaborative messaging

• seamless handoffs

• unified dashboards

When marketing and sales work as one bartender, the drink lands perfectly.

When they fight behind the bar?
Everything slows down.

5. You Can’t Fix a Bad Drink by Pouring More Into It

If a cocktail tastes off, the worst thing you can do is pour more alcohol into it.

Same for funnels:

• More leads don’t fix unclear value props

• More leads don’t fix bad follow-up

• More leads don’t fix clunky forms

• More leads don’t fix poor targeting

• More leads don’t fix friction

You don’t add volume.
You adjust the mix.

Marketing momentum is a recipe — not a pour.

6. When to Use Flair — and When to Use Craft

Flanagan’s flair was iconic — but it wasn’t the work.
The real work was:

• consistency

• precision

• timing

• understanding the customer

• getting the mix right

Marketing works the same way.

There’s a time for flair:

• big campaigns

• splashy launches

• fast bursts of traffic

• creative stunts

But flair only works after your mix is dialled in.

A system without flow makes flair meaningless.

7. The Real Question: Do You Need More Leads… or a Better Cocktail?

Most funnels don’t need:

• Bigger pours

• Louder campaigns

• More traffic

• More platforms

They need:

• Better targeting

• Stronger messaging

• Cleaner handoffs

• Smoother follow-up

• Less friction

• More consistency

In other words:
A better drink.

Volume doesn’t drive growth.
Velocity does.

Final Pour

Marketing isn’t a flair show.
It’s a craft.

The biggest myth in the bar — and in the boardroom — is that “more” fixes everything.

But the smartest marketers know:

You don’t win by filling more glasses.
You win by serving better drinks.

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When strategy needs momentum and momentum needs direction, I can help you get there.

Let’s connect and explore what’s possible.